


A Job for A Mandalorian

by MightyWolves23



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game), Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Baby Obi-Wan Kenobi, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fix-It, Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Force Ghost Bela Kiwiiks, Force Ghost Jango Fett, Force Ghost Jaster Mereel, Force Ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi, Force Ghost Tarre Vizsla, Force Ghost Yoda (Star Wars), Fusion of Star Wars Legends and Disney Canon, Good Xanatos, He gets better, I'm not nice to Qui-gon, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jedi Culture & Tradition (Star Wars), Mand'alor Jango Fett, Mand'alor Jaster Mereel, Mandalorian Adoption (Star Wars), Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Mandalorian Obi-Wan Kenobi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Qui-Gon Jinn Bashing, Qui-Gon Jinn's A+ Parenting, Slow Burn, The Force Loves Obi-Wan Kenobi, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:40:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 62,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29300532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MightyWolves23/pseuds/MightyWolves23
Summary: She died. She was one with the Force. She never knew about the council of the greatest Jedi to ever live. She doubted anyone living knew of it.They had two tasks for her. One was fairly simple, the other... Much more dangerous.Tarre Vizsla was insane and her own Master was a crazy Jedi according to some.Tarre Vizsla charged her with saving his people from their destruction. He claimed she had Mandokarla.That was a load of bantha poodoo. She was no Mandalorian. The meddling armored Jedi was wrong. What he wanted was a job for an actual Mandalorian.If only she knew what Tarre Vizsla had up his armored vambraces.You bet your butt, she would have refused. But maybe... Just maybe... She might have Mandokarla after all.
Relationships: Bruck Chun & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Feemor & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Feemor & Obi-Wan Kenobi & Xanatos, Jango Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan & Bela Kiwiiks, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Jaster Mereel, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Quinlan Vos, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Tarre Vizsla, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Xanatos
Comments: 266
Kudos: 616
Collections: An Assortment of Damn Good Fics





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Kiss, Marry, Kill](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29192553) by [sparkly_seagull](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkly_seagull/pseuds/sparkly_seagull). 
  * Inspired by [They Don't Care About Us](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130340) by [ironhoshi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironhoshi/pseuds/ironhoshi). 
  * Inspired by [Not a wound but its absence](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29146599) by [Lady_Iwa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Iwa/pseuds/Lady_Iwa). 
  * Inspired by [Mandokarla and other thing Obi-Wan has](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597741) by [sparkly_seagull](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkly_seagull/pseuds/sparkly_seagull). 



> So... New story anyone? 
> 
> I don't own Star Wars. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this. This is a Jango/fem!Obi-Wan time travel fix it. 
> 
> This was inspired by the many stories I read for Jangobi week and if anyone can shoot me an invite for a Jangobi serve on discord, that would be amazing. This is going to be a long story and I could use some help? 
> 
> Anyway. Shoot me a comment. As usual comments = happy and loved author = more story for you guys. 
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> Oh. This will cover all aspects of Star Wars, from the Legends to Disney Canon to SWTOR to movies. It's going to have it all.

She was dreading this moment. The moment where she faced Vader. No. He would always be Anakin. The little boy from Tatooine she raised as her padawan. 

“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” She stares as her formal pupil brings his lightsaber around to her head. 

She casts one last look at Luke and gives into the Force around her, just as Anakin’s blade passes searing heat through her body. 

*****

She didn’t have time to marvel at the feeling of being ‘one with the Force.’

Luke was being an idiot and was just standing there. 

“Run Luke! Run!” She yelled as loud as she could. 

Luke seemed to hear her because he ran for the smuggler’s ship. The ship took off without any more problems. She smiled. Her mission was complete. She faded away and let the Force carry her to where it wanted. 

She knew where she wanted to go. To see her old friends, Quinlan, Bant, Siri, Garen, even Bruck, despite him bullying her. 

She ended up in a large spacious temple. The ceilings were high and there were no windows. Instead, bright torches lit up the area, and a glowing pool of water cast light around the massive room. 

“Obi-wan Kenobi.” A voice called out of the shadows near several chairs placed in a semicircle. 

Obi-wan entered the space and immediately bowed. “Masters.” 

The greatest Force users were gathered around her in chairs. There were many different species. Ranging from a Togruta and a Rodian to a humanoid looking one encased in metal armor. 

Obi-wan felt nerves well up as well as fascination. That couldn’t possibly be…

“Obi-wan.” The armored Jedi spoke and she recognized it as the voice that called her name before. 

“Master Vizsla.” For there was no doubt as to which Mandalorian Jedi this was. There had been no other one like them since the dawn of time. She bowed again. 

“You know your history.” The Mandalorian sounded pleased. 

“I have always been fascinated by Mandalore and your culture. Not to say that it’s the only one I find intriguing. Many other cultures are simply… amazing to witness.” She didn’t mean to ramble but being here, in this great Jedi’s presence was overwhelming. So much history… so much to get her hands on.

She cast a look around the room again. There were murals carved into the walls she itched to look at and beautiful tapestries that fluttered in the slight breeze in this underground temple. 

“Master Kenobi has always been interested in history and culture.” A deep familiar voice called full of fond amusement. 

Obi-wan snapped her head to the side and if she could, she would have cried. Standing there was Master Plo Koon. 

“What?” She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath to center herself. “What can I do for you Masters?”

Because this wasn’t a simple accidental meeting. This was a purposeful summons. 

“It’s what you can do for us, Master Kenobi.” Tarre Vizsla spoke up. “This war has been going on for decades and it will continue to spread darkness until it is stopped for good. The Force may have chosen the Skywalker line to bring balance, but we feel you are the better choice. Many of us have seen what you have done over the years and we were quite impressed. You have Mandokarla.” 

Obi-wan was glad she was dead. She was sure her cheeks would be flaming if she were alive. Curse her red hair. “Thank you Master Vizsla but I seriously doubt anything I did was-” 

“No?” The Mandalorian Jedi stood up from his seat and motioned for her to follow him. The others faded away and it was just her and Tarre Vizsla. “You stopped a planet from exploding by offering up your own life to save others. You helped stop a war that had devastated a planet to the point where  _ demagolka _ were killing and forcing children to fight as warriors. You have loyalty to the Order and the light side. You have the tenacity to fight for the things you want. You have the aggression to stand up for others who can’t do it for themselves. And you have a lust for life that outshines almost every Mando’ade that I have seen. If that is not Mandokarla, then what is it?” 

Obi-wan was speechless but not for long. “I call it doing the right thing.” She sassed. 

Tarre Vizsla laughed. The Force seemed to dance around him as he chortled. “Yes. Mandokarla indeed.” 

Obi-wan sighed. “What exactly have I been chosen for Master?” 

“To have a seat on our council for one. For the other... well, we shall see. Come. I have much to discuss with you.” Tarre Vizsla led her down the hall. 

*****

Obi-wan stared as Tarre Vizsla just calmly floated on a mat.

“Pardon me? You want me to do what exactly?” Her brain just could not compute anything this crazy Jedi was saying. And she was Qui-gon Jinn’s padawan for many years. Crazy was kind of her thing. 

“We wish to send you back to the beginning to save the Jedi and bring balance to the Force.” Tarre cracked open an eye. “No need to think on it now. Let’s focus on your first task and then you can give us your answer on the second.” 

“My first task,” Obi-wan repeated. 

“Yes.” Tarre Vizsla uncrossed his legs and stood up. “To show that you are acceptable to this council, you must complete a task to prove it. It’s just a little thing.” 

“May I ask what exactly I have to do? I am already dead. There isn’t much else dangerous I can do.” Obi-wan clutched her hands in the folds of her robes. 

“No. Nothing dangerous. More like a task to show your skill and wisdom. Your youngling, Luke Skywalker still needs help. He is attempting to eradicate this darkness and he still needs your guidance. Follow him. Help him. When you come back, we will discuss further your second task.” Tarre Vizsla reached out his hand. “May the Force be with you Obi-wan Kenobi.” 

He touched her forehead and she dissolved into a blue wisp. 

****

Obi-wan blinked and she found herself floating outside in space in the middle of a dogfight. She yelped and instinctively held her breath and flapped her arms around, before remembering she was dead and one with the Force, therefore, space can’t hurt her. 

She floated as one by one, the small rebellion fighters were taken out. Only three remained when she decided to take action. She tried a swimming motion to lower herself and when that didn’t work, she tried willing herself down there. 

In between one blink and the next she had moved so she was by one fighter. It zipped past her heading for a trench in the middle of the massive ship she had died on. 

She willed herself again to be by the fighter and this time, she willed herself to keep going alongside it. 

This fight was getting intense. One fighter was taken out and she could feel the pilot being taken back into the Force. 

She couldn’t let that distract her. “Use the Force Luke.” She tried amplifying her voice. “Let go Luke.” She could see him look around for half a second before focusing on his fighter. 

She could sense Anakin nearby. She bit her lip and waited for Luke to put away the tracking device. “Luke. Trust me.” She poured her feelings into the words. 

Her feelings for the little infant she brought to his family. Her feelings for the toddler that raced to see her before she was banned by the Lars family. Her feelings for the preteen she watched work the farm and make friends. Her feelings for the teen she watched fly speeders and shoot at womp rats. Her maternal feelings for the young adult that fought before her now. 

It seemed to work. Luke turned away the tracking computer and she felt him reach out with the Force.

The smuggler’s ship comes swooping in and takes out one of Anakin’s tie fighters. The second one panics and is destroyed against the wall of the trench. Anakin goes spinning out into space with a damaged ship. 

She shrugged it off. He’s survived worse. There’s no way a ship with that minor of damage would take him out. 

Luke fires the torpedoes and hits his target. 

She smiled as Luke flew away from the Death Star. The giant planet-killing space station exploded into a supernova of sparks and pieces of metal. She winced as she felt the influx of people being folded into the Force. They may have been evil, but they were still people. 

Luke and the smuggler’s ship fly back to the rebel base they saved. 

*****

She smiles as she watches Luke celebrate his victory. She floats alongside Luke and Leia. 

“You did good, young one.” She blinks and she is back in the massive temple from before. 

“Very good Master Kenobi.” A voice calls. “A very good start.” 

An older togruta steps out from the shadows. Her montrals stand tall and her lekku swing down to her hips. She was dressed in the normal Jedi robes. “I am Master Kiwiiks. We have information for you to help you decide what to do next in your task.” 

Obi-wan follows the Togruta down a side hallway to a room covered in glowing flowers. They shine with the Force and the light around them throb to an unheard melody. 

Master Kiwiiks seats herself on a meditation pillow. “Have a seat Master Kenobi.” 

Obi-wan folds herself into a comfortable position. 

“See your choices.” Master Kiwiiks closes her eyes in an obvious Force meditation. 

“I thought with being dead I wouldn’t have to meditate anymore.” She grumbles as she moves into her pose for communing with the Force. 

“Even dead, we can still learn.” Master Kiwiiks takes her hands. “Your choices, Young One.” 

Obi-wan slips deeper into the Force. She saw two paths laid out before her. 

She stepped towards the left path. Green flares her vision and she sees images race by too fast to comprehend. The only thing she knows for sure is this path is Yoda. 

She pulls back and steps to the right. Her heart aches as she gets a feel for who this path is about. Ahsoka. Again, images race by too fast for her to catch. Red explodes across her vision and she is yanked from her meditation. 

“Now, you must decide.” Master Kiwiiks sits silently as Obi-wan thinks. 

Yoda or Ahsoka. Ahsoka or Yoda. 

Why would those two be her choices? It hits her. Luke. Her first task. He needs to be trained and she cannot do it herself. 

If she chose Ahsoka, that would be bringing up old memories. Luke was her Master’s kid. Would Ahoska even be willing to train him? A scary thought hit her of a much younger Ahsoka getting into trouble with a Skywalker youngling. She shuddered. 

But… Yoda… 

He had to be almost nine hundred years old by now. If he was still alive, would he have the time to train Luke the right way? To teach him the right ways of the Order? Would he even be willing? 

“Have you decided?” Master Kiwiiks watched her with interest. 

She thought for one more second. “Yes, Master. I have chosen Master Yoda.” 

Master Kiwiiks gave a serene smile. “You have passed. While my descendant might have made a good teacher once, the pain the Skywalker youngling would have brought up would have wounded her proud heart and warrior soul. Master Yoda is the better choice.” 

“But… will he even be willing? I don’t know how long his species live for but nine hundred seems a little old.” Obi-wan gave her worries with surprising ease. Master Kiwiiks was easy to talk to. Much like Shaak Ti. 

Master Kiwiiks gave a smile that made her look years younger. It was impish and proud. “He will be willing. Go now. Your youngling needs you. You will find Master Yoda in the Dagobah System.” 

Master Kiwiiks touched her forehead and she again disappeared into a blue wisp. 

****

“I have got to learn how to do that.” Obi-wan blinked as she came out on a frozen tundra. 

She willed herself to walk along the snowy ground. She gasped as she spotted her charge in the distance. She willed herself to be by his side. 

“Luke. Luke.” She wished she could help him. But she was just a ghost now. Nothing but a memory. 

“Ben?” 

To her amazement, Luke seemed to see her. His blue eyes were filled with fear and sleepiness from the frostbite he was sure to be getting. 

She could tell she didn’t have long for Luke to remain conscious. “You will go to the Dagobah system.” 

“Dagobah system?” Luke seemed delirious but he seemed to understand her. 

“There you will learn from Yoda. The Jedi Master who instructed me.” She tried to say more but the connection seemed to be lost. 

Her heart broke as she watched Luke call out for her in his cold-induced delirium. She fell to her knees in the snow as the kid she watched grow up, steadily got colder and colder. 

“Oh, Luke.” She murmured. She hit the snow in frustration. She couldn’t do anything! The little boy she watched grow from infancy was going to die. 

She watched with bated breath as a rider on a tauntaun approached. She watched as Han Solo risked his life to save Luke. 

“I owe you a debt, Han Solo.” She murmured as the Corellian smuggler hauled Luke inside the dead tauntaun’s stomach. She swore she would repay him somehow. 

Luke had not stopped calling out for her and repeating her words. 

“Help is here now, Luke. Help is here.” 

****

She blinks again and was now standing in the middle of a swamp. She makes a face and wills herself to float above the muddy water. 

She smiled. There were some perks to being a ghost. 

A familiar ship flies overhead and crashes into the middle of the swamp. She frowns. How much time did she lose? 

She floats near the embankment as Luke and Artoo make their way to the shore. Not without some difficulties. Luke’s ship sank and Artoo nearly got eaten by a swamp monster. 

She had to admit that Yoda really knew how to hide. Almost no one was on this swampy planet. She floated along behind Luke as he tried to make camp. 

When Yoda appeared out of the foliage, she smiled. Yoda had quickly aged since she last saw him near twenty years ago. He seemed more frail and downtrodden but it was good to see an old friend’s face. 

She did laugh when Yoda got into a tug-a-war with Artoo over a lamp. Yoda met her eyes with a solemn gaze before laughing and leading Luke back to his home. 

It seemed the little troll still loved his games. 

Yoda knew exactly why she was here and why Luke was here. He moved around his kitchen making soup, while Luke got even more agitated and angry. It was not a good sign. She hoped Yoda would train him. 

As if the old green Master caught those thoughts, he turned to look at her head-on. “I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.” He announced. 

“He will learn patience.” She tried to persuade Yoda to take on the boy. Where were her skills as the famed Negotiator? She really needed them right about now. 

“Hmm. Much anger in him, like his father.” Yoda raised an eyebrow at her. 

She nearly flinched at the reminder of her failure. “Was I any different when you taught me?” 

“Ha. He is not ready.” Yoda scowled. He turned back to his soup. 

Luke tries to defend himself, not really helping as he bangs his head on Yoda’s pans when he tries to get up. 

Yoda goes on a small rant of his protests to the situation. 

She feels like she failed this when she spotted Master Kiwiiks in the kitchen. She held eye contact with the ancient Jedi when she rejoined the conversation. “So was I, if you remember.” 

Master Kiwiiks touched Yoda briefly, before smiling at Obi-wan and vanishing. 

Yoda sighs deeply and turns to face her. “Will he finished what he begins?” 

She says nothing as Luke swears the same thing she swore to her Master when he agreed to take her on. 

****

She was back in the massive temple cave. She starts looking around at the murals. They were carvings of the deeds of some Jedi. They told stories about the Jedi on the council. 

She froze when she got to Master Plo Koon’s. She touched trembling fingers to a very familiar wolf picture on the wall. 

“Tales these are, of our history and life. A reminder they are of what we have done and why we deserve to be on this council.” 

For a second she thought Yoda was in front of her. She turned around to face a member of Yoda’s species, yes, but not Yoda. 

The person before her was stooped with age but had more hair than Yoda that was let loose around her shoulders. 

“Come. Talk with me about your second task, you will.” The thump, thump, thump of a cane brought back memories as she followed the smaller Jedi. 

This time, she was taken to a room filled with luminescent fungi. They grew on the windowless walls and shone their light over a small mat. A larger one was unrolled and placed before the smaller of the two. 

“Have questions you do, yes? About your second task, they are.” The small Jedi sits down on her mat. 

Obi-wan sighs and plops down on the one offered for her. “I guess I have a lot of questions.” 

“Ask then. Answer them, I will.” 

“Why me? Why not Anakin? I know there is still good in him. He’s hurting over the loss of Padme and what he thinks is his child. What I don’t understand is how Anakin survived. He should have died, I - I left him there. He should be dead.” Her voice got quiet at the end. 

The old Master was silent for a moment. “Lots of tricks, the Sith have. The Living Force he used to take her life for his.” 

Her mouth dropped open in horror. “That’s… that’s…” 

“Horrible, yes.” The green Jedi met her gaze with steady eyes. “You, we wish, to stop this.” 

She let her jaw drop open. She buried her face in her hands. “I would be alone doing this.” 

“Not alone.” The small Master snaps. “Never alone. When you meditate, there we will be. Never alone again, you will be, Obi-wan Kenobi.” 

Obi-wan couldn’t help the tears that came to her face. She had been alone for years and now she had some of her family back. She had her family. Why would she want to leave this to do it all over again? 

“Free to use my rooms, you are. Rooms are being built for you, they are.” The small Jedi stood up. The tap, tap, tap of her cane marked her position. “Think, you will, on your decision? The right choice, I know you will make.” 

A soft three-clawed hand rested on her head for a moment. “Never alone, you are Obi-wan. Never alone.” 

The soft tapping noises drifted down the hall. 

  
  
  


***

She sat in Yoda's ancestor's room for half an hour before the impropriety of the matter hit her. She got up thinking she would explore. 

She headed towards the left down the hall. It led deeper into the cave or mountain or wherever she was. 

Why would she go back? She had her family here. Sure it wasn't her actual friends and family from the time she knew of. The only one from there she had seen was Master Plo Koon. Not even Mace was here. 

And that thought stopped her in her tracks. If Mace Windu, the best Jedi the Order had ever seen in a thousand years, was not there, then why was she here? 

She frowned as she followed some noises. (Grunts and dull thuds like someone fighting.)

She entered a large training room. It looked kind of like the salles back in the Coruscant temple. There were obvious differences though. 

Actual swords were leaning against the wall in a stand. Various blasters from different time periods were on the walls in cases. Soft training mats were laid spread out on the floor and some walls. 

“Hello?” She called out. 

“Ah. Obi-wan.” Tarre Vizsla came out from behind a big bag full of sand. “Care to spar? Holding the shape of the bag gets tiring after a while.” 

Obi-wan stepped into the room. “I have questions. And I need them answered.” 

Tarre Vizsla smiled. “Spar with me and every hit you land, I will answer a question.” 

Obi-wan walked onto a mat. “Rules?” 

“No cheap shots? I believe that’s what they call it now. Other than that… we’re already dead. Not much else to have by way of rules.” The Mandalorian lunged at her with his fists raised. 

She spun and ducked out of his way. She pulled up her own fists and nailed him in the side. 

It felt weird. It felt like her hand was going through syrup and she got a tiny hint of what he was feeling. Joy, worry, and deep-seated pain caused her to flinch and falter. She stared at the Mandalorian with wide eyes. Her hands dropped to her side. 

“Yes. You have felt it. My people have suffered greatly because of this Sith Sidious. They are now spread out among the galaxy in hiding, suffering, and I cannot help them. Not anymore. A once-great people, brought low by war and death and destruction and darkness. One of my wishes is for you to save them.” Tarre Vizsla spread his hands wide. “I wish for you to reunite my people and spare them from the darkness heading their way. Once, my people worked for the dar’jetii. This was after my time. I wish for them to be brought back to the light. We are a good people, Obi-wan. Just a little too passionate at times, but that can always be tempered.” 

“How… I don’t even…” Obi-wan clenched her hands into fists. She threw a glare at Tarre Vizsla. “You want me to help Death Watch?” 

Tarre Vizsla frowned. “No. My brother’s descendants have gotten even more radical since the first Vizsla. I wish for you to help…” Tarre Vizsla trailed off. “You must go, Young One. There is trouble with your first task.” 

Tarre Vizsla reached out to touch her head but Obi-wan ducked his fingers. “We are continuing this discussion later.” 

“Of course, Master Kenobi.” Tarre reached out and got her on the forehead. 

She dissolved into a blue wisp for the third time. 

******

Obi-wan blinked and she found herself back on Dagobah as Luke packed his ship by night. 

“You must complete your training.” Yoda protested Luke’s leaving. 

Luke seemed frantic as he shoved cases and boxes into the compartments on his fighter. 

She quickly took in the scene. Luke was leaving to rescue Han and Leia? From what? Most likely Anakin. 

“You don’t know that. Even Yoda cannot see their fate.” She cut in. Honestly. What was it with Skywalkers? Were they all so reckless like this? Or was it just the male Skywalker gene that activated it? 

She blinked back at Luke’s amazed stare. Why was he…? Oh. She was visible to him again. 

“But I can help them! I can feel the Force!” Luke protested. He shoved the lid to the compartment down. 

It reminded her so much of Anakin that she had to give this warning. Just to spare the thought of another she watched grow up to turn astray. “But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you when you will be tempted by the Darkside of the Force.” 

Yoda urged Luke to listen to her and remember the cave. 

What cave? She shuddered to think of what kind of creatures lived there. 

Luke promised to return and finish his training. 

Obi-wan felt it deep in her gut that if Luke left now, he would get no further training. Yoda was barely hanging on as it is. He would not last another few months for more training. She had to make Luke see reason. “It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants. That is why your friends are made to suffer.” 

“And that is why I have to go.” Luke stared at her and she could read everything in his eyes. His determination to save his friends. His faith that he can do it. 

It hurt too much. It reminded her of Anakin. “Luke, I don’t want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader.” 

Luke looked her in the eye and swore that she wouldn’t. 

Yoda began ranting at Luke about being a fully trained Jedi Knight. 

She nearly snorted. Training to be a Knight took years. She herself was a Padawan for eleven years before reaching Knighthood. Even then it was forced on her early because of Qui-gon’s death and her hurting Maul. 

“Patience.” She warned Yoda and Luke when tempers flared in the Force. She gave an inaudible sigh. There was no stopping him. He was too much like how Anakin used to be. “If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere.” That much she knew from what the Masters have said.

Luke agreed and started up his ship. 

“Luke. Don’t give in to hate. That leads to the Darkside.” She gave one last warning. A warning she wished Anakin had listened to. 

Luke climbed into his ship and was soon gone through the mist and mossy branches that hung over the swamp. 

Yoda looked over at her. “Told you I did. Reckless is he. Now matters are worse.” 

She stared after the fighter with sadness. “That boy is our only hope.” She spoke softly. 

“No. There is another.” Yoda was silent for a minute. 

Obi-wan thought back to Leia. The other Skywalker she never got to see grow up. “I know.” She whispered into the wind. 

“Taken an interest in Young Skywalker, you have.” Yoda got up from his perch and moved slowly towards his home. “Join you soon, I think I will.” 

She gave a small smile to the old Jedi. “I’m sure you will have lots of fun after.” 

Yoda cackled. “Oh, fun, you say? Hmph. See about that, we will. Come. Much to discuss we have.” 

*****

Obi-wan floated over Yoda’s chair. She crossed her legs over the cushion and closed her eyes. 

“Doing something, are you?” Yoda sounded curious. 

“Even dead you cannot escape meditation. I have met with some others and they are teaching me things.” Obi-wan cracked open an eye to look at her grandmaster. “I am sure that soon, you will meet them too.” Obi-wan closed her eyes again and focused on the Force. 

Images raced by her. 

Luke giving himself over to Anakin and the Emperor. Leia falling in love with Han Solo. A child being born. A little boy filled with goodness that slowly is corrupted into darkness. The little boy growing up into a man. His fear of Luke. Turning to the Darkside and wanting to have Anakin back. 

A little girl being abandoned. Ignorant of her history and lineage. A wide expanse of sand even greater than that of Tatooine. A droid. 

They began to flicker faster and faster. 

A wild ocean cliffside. Hatred. Anger. Fear. A lightsaber fight in the snowy woods. Red clashing with blue. Death. Destruction. Fear. Darkness. 

She blinked and forced herself from those pictures. She was dizzy and put her hand to her forehead. She couldn’t remember much but from what she saw, the Darkness doesn’t really go away. Not for another generation of kids. 

She was torn. If she went back she could stop all that. But then that means that those children might never be born. The little boy with the curly black hair and the little girl with the braided buns, still clinging to the light side despite where she came from. 

She thought about their fates. The Darkside clinging to the boy. The girl doing everything to save him and be his light. 

She sighed and rubbed her forehead hard. She didn’t know what to do. “Master?” She looked up and met the wide eyes of the being that had taught her all her life. “If you had the chance to go back before all this happened, before the Jedi were killed, and before the even Emperor began his reign, would you? Would you go back and save what you could and stop this madness?” 

Yoda eyed her without saying anything. “Sometimes, I wish it. Sometimes, I do not. To think about the past, Jedi are not. But, yes. If had the chance, I would.” 

To hear the once Grandmaster of the Jedi Order admit that he wished for something that was out of his control as a Jedi was astounding. 

“Meditate long, you have. Shown you the future the Force has?” Yoda sounded curious. 

She opened her mouth to respond but gave a full-body flinch as a death racked through the Force. Her eyes went wide. Jabba the Hutt died? He did not go quietly. 

She immediately got to her feet. “I have to go. Something happened. I’ll see you again, Master.” She gave a short bow to Yoda before willing herself to the side of her charge. 

Obi-wan blinked and she was standing on a land speeder being piloted by a dark-skinned man. Han Solo, a large Wookie, Luke, and Leia were standing behind him. 

Jabba’s party barge was exploding behind them. 

She ignored the light show and frantically studied Luke’s Force presence for any hint of darkness. It was one thousand times easier now that she was one with the Force. 

There was nothing unusual. She sighed in relief. Her eye caught on the other Skywalker of the group. Leia had a touch of the Darkside on her. She must have been the one to kill Jabba. If not directly, then at least indirectly. 

She felt the currents of the Force pulling at her. She shot one last look at her charges before she let the Force carry her back to the Masters of the council. 

****

Obi-wan opened her eyes to find herself standing near the pool of water. She gazed at its surface as she thought. Was it her? Or did the water seem to be showing a younger version of her face? She hadn’t had that haircut since she was a young padawan. Just what was this…? 

“Careful. The Waters of Abagoul show you many things. Things you might not want to see.” 

Obi-wan looked up and met the eyes of Master Kiwiiks. “Master.” She bowed. She bit the inside of her cheek before blurting out her worries. “Did I fail? Jabba the Hutt is dead and one of my charges did it. They used the Darkside of the Force to do it.” 

Master Kiwiiks studied her with her always serene looks. “Leia Organa is not a part of your task. Luke Skywalker is your task. Do not fret over that. Come, walk with me.” 

Obi-wan followed the older Togruta down the halls. 

“Have you thought about your second task? I sensed you looking to the future. You have a talent for it.” Master Kiwiiks complimented her. 

Obi-wan grimaced. “Sometimes, seeing the future isn’t all that good.” 

Master Kiwiiks nodded her head. Her lekku bobbed down and her montrals tipped. “A wise statement. But in this case, what have you decided? You have seen what comes next for your charge and where he will end up. What will you do?” 

Obi-wan grew silent as she brooded on what to do. To stop all this before it starts, she must leave her newfound family. These Masters took her in and gave her comfort and showed her new things about her situation now. 

She remembered the pain that Tarre Vizsla carried despite him being dead and his wish for her to unite the people of Mandalore. Shouldn’t that be a job for an actual Mandalorian? No matter what Tarre thinks or how much Mandokarla she has, that was a job for a Mandalorian. Not her. 

People began rushing by. She spotted a Rodian murmuring excitedly to another as they raced down the hall. 

A familiar tap, tap, tap, reached her ears as the Jedi from before hobbled her way down the hall. She was beaming. 

“What’s going on?” Obi-wan frowned. She was horribly confused. 

“A great day this is.” The female of Yoda’s species motioned for Obi-wan to bend down. 

Used to Yoda’s antics of being carried on the shoulders of Padawans and Knights, she crouched down for the Jedi to hop on. 

Instead, she placed her three-fingered claws on Obi-wan’s cheek. She patted her face in a maternal way. “Good, it is, to see you again. Succeed you will, Obi-wan. Have faith in you, I do. Come. See you will, my sister’s son. Many, many years since I have seen him. Know him, you do.” 

She let go of Obi-wan’s face and kept going towards the temple room. The tap, tap, tap of her cane echoing on the walls. 

Obi-wan blinked. Yoda? Was she talking about Yoda? If Yoda was dying that meant… 

“Master Kiwiiks?” She turned to face the Togruta. “I’m afraid I cannot join you at this time. If Master Yoda is dying then my charges need me.” 

Master Kiwiiks inclined her head. “I will let the others know. May the Force be with you Obi-wan.” 

Obi-wan nodded her head back before concentrating. She blinked and willed herself to Luke’s side. 

****

“I can’t do it, Artoo. I can’t go on alone.” Luke was sitting outside Yoda’s home with the feisty droid next to him. 

“Yoda will always be with you.” She made her presence known. Of that fact, she was sure. Where he was headed, she was almost positive that the old master would be back. 

Luke jerked his head up to see her. Hurt and betrayal shown in his eyes. “Obi-wan! Why didn’t you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.” He expounded when she drew a blank. 

She sighed and felt every ounce of her fifty years. “Your father was seduced by the Darkside of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man that was your father was destroyed. So what I have told you was true, from a certain point of view.” She knew she was really stretching that lying thing at the moment. She knew Luke was right. She should have told him. But the pain was too much to bear. She couldn’t think of all that Anakin was. 

“A certain point of view.” Luke scoffed angrily. 

She sensed the hurt in him and that made her feel doubly worse. “Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” 

Luke just stares off into the mossy jungle. 

She sighed. “I don’t blame you for being angry. If I was wrong in what I did, it certainly wouldn’t have been for the first time.” She felt a flash of pain at the image of coldness radiating from a usually warm golden presence. She pushed aside the memories of Cody and her stint as Rako Hardeen and focused on Luke. “You see, what happened to your father was my fault.” She paused as another image swam across her mind. Lava and a fight across scaffolding until it ended at a lava river where Anakin died. 

She began telling Luke of her history with his father. It devolved into a discussion on whether Vader still had good in him. Luke insisted he did. 

Obi-wan squashed the hope growing in her chest. She failed once before. She couldn’t do it again. 

“I can’t kill my own father,” Luke spoke firmly. 

“Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope.” Force, this hurt! Being with Luke and seeing so much of the old Anakin in him. She couldn’t help the despondence in her tone of voice. She didn’t want to do this again. She didn’t want to get attached to yet another Skywalker only to see them fall. 

“Yoda spoke of another.” Luke gazed at her evenly. 

“The other he speaks of is your twin sister.” She looked off into the swamp. Yet another thing she kept from him, but this one was for both of their safety. 

“But I have no sister.” Luke was confused, she could feel that clearly. That and the hope rising in him. 

Obi-wan explained why she kept this from him. Maybe he wouldn’t be so angry. She told Luke of his and Leia’s birth. A heavily edited version and maybe she spun a few untruths, but Force damnit! This was difficult. 

Luke immediately protested Leia getting involved in this. 

Obi-wan agreed and let him know that. She tried one more time to see if he really will kill Anakin. Luke denied her. 

Luke flew off out of the atmosphere of the planet they were on. She watched him go, thinking deeply. 

If she left and went back to change things, would he be alright? Would he survive on his own? He was theoretically the last true Jedi to be trained. Yoda and she were the only Masters who survived when their men turned on them. 

She blinked back tears when she thought of the 212th. Cody, Longshot, Boil, Waxer, all her men either died or had something done to them that caused them to be erased somehow. 

She scowled. She knew who she needed to see to have her answers. She blinked and arrived back in the massive hall. 

*****

She ignored Master Yoda and his Aunt and marched down the hall to Tarre Vizsla’s training room. She barged in, heedless of the fact that he had some visitors. 

“We need to talk, Master Vizsla. You owe me answers and…” She trailed off and was thankful yet again that she was dead. 

Tarre Vizsla seemed amused. “Ah, Master Kenobi. Just who I was waiting for.” 

One of the figures before Tarre gave a violent lurch and glared at her. “Kenobi.” He greeted her stiffly. 

She blinked in shock. “Fett? What? How?” 

“Come sit.” Tarre Vizsla made a motion and several meditation pillows manifested themselves around in a circle. 

She plopped down in a daze. Why was Jango Fett here? 

“We Mando’s have our own council. The Ka’ra of all the Mand’alor’s that came before us and after us.” Tarre Vizsla began. “There are some cultures and species that have their own councils besides us Jedi.” 

Obi-wan just stared as she took in all the Mandalorian before her was saying. She turned her interested gaze on Jango. “You… you were Mand’alor?” She was amazed. Why didn’t she know this? 

“No thanks to you Jetii.” Jango nearly snarled. 

“Peace.” Tarre Vizsla sent out a wave with the Force. “There is no fighting here unless it is a friendly spar. Master Kenobi, Mand’alor Fett has every reason to hate the Jedi. It is understandable but there will be no acting on it here.” 

Obi-wan felt like a scolded child. Jango must have felt the same because he ducked his head. 

The other Mandalorian in the room cackled in laughter. Jango shot a betrayed look at them. 

“Master Kenobi, this is Mand’alor Mereel and you already know Mand'alor Fett.” Tarre Vizsla gestured to the unnamed Mandalorian and Jango. “Let me tell you their story and then you may give us your answer on whether you will help us or not.” 

Tarre Vizsla began his tale with the reformation of Mand’alor Mereel and how he was trying to unite his people. He told about the skirmishes between the factions. Between Duke Kryze and Death Watch, there was another faction. The Haat Mando’ade. 

He continued by telling of Death Watch’s hand in Mand’alor Mereel’s death at the hands of his second in command. Jango had only been fourteen and had taken the mantle of Mand’alor. 

He told about Galidraan and the Order’s part in it. 

Obi-wan felt horror rise up in her. “I… I never knew. If I was there… I would have…” 

“What? Destroyed even more of my people.” Jango snapped. 

“No,” Obi-wan spoke hotly. She didn’t like how Jango had treated her while she was here. “I would have stopped it. But instead, I was stuck on a war-torn planet where children under the age of twelve were fighting a war against their parents to stop the fighting. I was only thirteen at the time.” She glared at Jango. “You are not the only one who has gone through losing your family like that and you won’t be the last.” She turned away from the shocked Mand’alor and turned to face Tarre. “Tell me more. What happened next?” 

Tarre Vizsla went on to tell about Jango’s time being a slave and how he hated the Jedi. He told how he broke free and recovered his armor. He told about how Jango was approached at the right moment by Dooku. How Dooku took advantage of him after a difficult job he did. He told of the clones and the horrors they faced. The decommissioning and the fights they were forced into by the trainers. 

Tarre Vizsla paused. “When you are dead, you tend to see the whole picture instead of parts of it. Mand’alor Fett agreed to take down the Jedi, but he didn’t know exactly how it was to be done. He knows now and the consequences of his actions. The vod had microchips in their heads disguised as tumors. They were placed there by the Sith Sidious. He only knows the full list of orders and one of those was order 66. That order was to wipe all resistance from them to do their job. The Jedi were truly their saviors for many of the vod. Generals who were kind to them and earned their trust and care were highly favored. You were one of these General’s Master Kenobi.” 

Tarre Vizsla continued the story about how the men were ordered to kill their Jedi because they believed them to be traitors to the Republic they believed in with their whole hearts. 

Obi-wan’s heart broke. “So.. C-Cody and the others they…” She hated how her voice cracked over his name. 

“They never willingly betrayed you, Young One.” Tarre Vizsla smiled sadly at her. “It was Dooku and Sidious’ plan. Mand’alor Fett has hopefully seen the error in his ways.” Tarre shot a stern look at Jango. “Two wrongs, Mand’alor, do not make a right.” 

Jango looked uncomfortable. “I see, now, how wrong I was.” 

Tarre smiled approvingly. 

“But what happened to Mandalore after?” Obi-wan brought up the fact that the story did not feel complete. Not based on what Tarre himself felt and said earlier. 

Tarre’s face fell into an unreadable mask. “Without the Mand’alor to lead them, the Haat Mando’ade fell apart. Some still had hope to cling to because they had faith that their Mand’alor still lived. After Jango died, they lost that hope. Many defected into Death Watch and still, others went over to Duchess Kryze. Only the Old Clans stayed true. The Empire descended on Mandalore for the beskar we carried within our mines. They wiped out many of our people. Few remained and our history, our culture was lost.” 

Obi-wan now knew what she had to do. The pain she could feel from Tarre made up her mind. “I will go. I will go back and I will do my best to save your people.” Obi-wan swore to him. “Yoda’s Aunt said that I won’t be alone if I go back. That when I meditate, you would be there.” 

Tarre Vizsla spread his hands in a ‘continue please’ gesture. “That was not a question, Young One.” 

“C-can I count on you to be there when it comes to your people? I know I am not Mandalorian and I doubt I will ever be, but I could use your guidance dealing with the hard-headedness of your people.” Obi-wan raised her chin and stared at the Mandalorian Jedi head-on. 

Tarre Vizsla’s eyes twinkled with merriment as he studied her. “You will have my full help, Young One.” Tarre placed his hand over his chest and bowed to her. 

Obi-wan felt unsettled by the man’s knowing gaze and mischievousness in the Force. She was about to comment but a shudder shook the room slightly. 

Obi-wan sucked in a teary breath. “He did it.” She whispered. “He really did it.” She bounced in place. “He did it!” 

“Did what?” Jango had his hand by his side like he was reaching for a blaster. “What was that?” 

“That was the passing of the so-called Chosen One into the Light side.” Tarre Vizsla eyed Obi-wan. “Go say your goodbyes. For when you come back, you will begin your journey a second time.” 

Obi-wan blinked and was gone. 

“What do you think, Jaster?” Tarre looked over at the man who almost succeeded in rallying their people together. 

“I think… she would make an excellent Mando’ade.” Jaster looked at the spot where Obi-wan vanished with thoughtful eyes. 

“Buir.” Jango’s voice was full of shock. “But… she…” 

“Has enough Mandokarla for ten Mando’ade. I agree.” Tarre Vizsla stood up. “Come. We have much to do before she gets back.” 

“But…” Jango sighed. There was no changing their minds. Hard-headed indeed. 

*****

Obi-wan smiled as she saw Anakin for the first time. The Ankin he once was, before the Emperor got a hold of him. Her smile fell as she felt all that hurt come welling back up. 

“Anakin… I…” She took a deep breath. “I am so sorry. I failed you.” 

“Master. You didn’t fail me, I failed you.” Anakin took a step forward. “I know my actions were wrong. I have decided to keep an eye on my family.” Anakin stared off at Luke who was sitting by a fire. 

Rebels and Ewoks danced around as music was beaten out on bones and drums. Firelight danced around them and the rebels celebrated the end of the Empire. 

She knew it wasn’t completely over. The images of the black-haired little boy and the dark-haired little girl came to her mind. The darkness still has one more round to make. 

“Luke wasn’t your only child.” Obi-wan was hesitant for Anakin’s anger to make a reappearance. 

“I know.” Anakin’s gaze turned to Leia. “She looks so much like her mother.” He murmured. “I almost missed it.” 

“She has your temperament, though. Luke I think is more like Padme.” Obi-wan watched the Skywalker twins as they celebrated the victory they fought hard for. “Anakin. I am so sorry and I wish you the best of luck in keeping an eye on your family.” 

“Master.” Anakin turned to face him. “Where are you going? You sound like you are saying goodbye.” 

“I am. There is a council of Jedi and they wish for me to do a task for them. I might not see you for a while or ever again. Just know Anakin, I love you like a brother and I will always love you like a brother. Goodbye, my Apprentice. You have done the impossible and I am so proud of you.” Obi-wan faded from the party and found herself back in the council meeting room. “Masters.” She bowed before them. 

“Obi-wan Kenobi.” Tarre Vizsla began. “You have been given a dangerous task for this council and the good of others. Do you accept?” 

“Yes, Master.” Obi-wan kept her eyes lowered. 

“Then we will send you off.” Tarre Vizsla came over to her and kissed her head. He murmured some words she didn’t catch before backing up. “By the power of this council, we task you with going back to the beginning and stopping this darkness before it can take hold of the galaxy. You will have help with the other members of the council should you ask.” 

As Tarre Vizsla spoke, Obi-wan felt her sense of herself being whisked away.

“Go forth and save us, Obi-wan Kenobi. May the Force and the Ka’ra watch over you.” 

Obi-wan stumbled and fell to the floor of the council room. Faster and faster her head spun until she blacked out. 

She felt herself being rocked on the waves of an ocean. No not an ocean. Obi-wan blinked open her eyes. She focused hard on what was in front of her. 

Oh, dear. They really did mean the beginning. She kicked her chubby legs and gurgled in protest. She was an infant again. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter One - Quinlan Vos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan encounters a friend and tries to save him. Her first mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I am so pleased with the reaction I got to this story. Have chapter one. Enjoy some baby Obi-wan and little kid Quinlan. I threw in some toddler Luminara for you too. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.

Being a baby again was difficult. 

After being an adult and fully toilet trained for decades, suddenly being expected to go to the ‘fresher in a diaper was hard. 

Also, let’s not mention the horrible food she was forced to eat. Who in this blasted galaxy thought that mixing nerf and peas, mushing them together, and filling it with good nutrients for a baby, was a good idea? It tasted vile. 

Despite the toilet issues and the food, the most difficult thing for her to handle was being held and carried everywhere. She was used to getting to places under her own power. Whether that was walking, running, or even flying in a speeder, she was used to using her own body to do it. 

Two weeks of this and she was ready to mutiny. No more! She threw a fit of epic proportions. 

The creche masters tried everything from a bottle of warm milk to being carried attached to their chests by a sling. They tried singing to her, wrapping her in the Force, nothing helped. She was furious. 

Then they decided to lay her down to let her cry it out. Obi-wan sniffed. If they wanted her to just cry it out, then fine, she will. She opened her mouth to let out a wail of misery so loud and annoying that it was sure to send them running. 

She snapped it shut just as quickly. There was a familiar Force presence nearby. Someone soothing that she hasn’t seen in years. 

She tried lifting her head to see over the railing of the crib. All she managed was her head lolling to the side. Drat being a baby! 

She wiggled down in the crib so she could see through the slats. A familiar kiffar was being shown into the rooms. Quinlan! Quinlan Vos was here! 

She tried calling his name but only a few syllables made it past her lips. She huffed. Being a baby again was so not worth this. 

Quinlan seemed so lost in thought as he was led around her room. He couldn’t have been much older than four. He was adorable young. Only she knew the troublemaker he would grow into. 

She tried waving her hands through the bars to catch his attention. She failed yet again. 

She grew angry. She was sick of failing! She failed Anakin, she failed Luke by dying and she failed to get Quinlan’s attention. 

She let out a screech and waved her hand at the kiffar. She poured everything she was feeling into it. To her frustration, the creche Master just sighed and picked her up. She was bounced softly in their arms. 

“Honestly. What has gotten into you, little one?” The creche master murmured. 

When the creche master swayed and danced around to Quinlan’s direction, Obi-wan leaned out of her arms towards the kiffar. 

Quinlan watched with wide eyes as Obi-wan flung her chubby little arms at him and waved them. 

Obi-wan missed the creche masters sharing a wide-eyed look at each other. Obi-wan flung herself against her captor’s grip. She wanted Quinlan and she wanted him now! 

Quinlan’s guide brought the kiffar over to her, after speaking with one of the adults in charge. “Would you like to hold Obi-wan, Quinlan?” 

Quinlan’s brown eyes were studying her. “What if I drop her?” 

Oh, he was so cute! She was not letting him live this down. 

“I’ll help you. Come sit down in this chair.” The chest she was pressed against vibrated as they talked.

Obi-wan was being moved. She whined as Quinlan was moved out of her eyesight. Quinlan was sitting in the chair on the lap of his guide. Obi-wan was passed into her dear friend’s arms. She stared up at the kiffar who would lose so much to the Darkside, even falling himself for a short while. 

She vowed that that would not happen. Not this time. 

She curled around Quinlan with her unshielded presence and a bond snapped into place. Their bond. She made embarrassing happy baby noises as she looked up at the kiffar. 

She reached one hand up and placed it on his face. She stared at him with all the seriousness she could muster. “ _ I won’t let anything hurt you again. Not while I am alive and kicking and it’s within my power. You will not suffer because of your gifts. Not again.”  _ She swore in her mind. 

All that was missing was Bant and Siri and Garen to make this a truly happy pile. 

Her eyes slipped closed. She hated being a baby. She was always tired. She forced them open. Quinlan was here. She didn’t want to fall asleep because she knew he would be gone when she woke. 

Quinlan must have felt something through their bond because he rocked her side to side and whispered to her. “Go to sleep Obi. I’ll keep watch over you. I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

Obi-wan let her eyes drift shut under the promise that her friend would be there for her. Her tiny fist clutched a handful of his tunic to be sure he couldn’t leave. Obi-wan’s head fell to his elbow. Her Quinlan was here. She was safe. 

*****

Obi-wan woke up in her crib. Quinlan wasn’t there. She screwed up her face to cry when footsteps came running. 

“Good afternoon, Obi. You slept for a while. Do you want to play with the others? Master Nala says that you haven’t been playing like you should. That you mostly just sit alone. That’s no way to live. You have to come to meet the others.” Quinlan placed his fingers through the bars and waved them at her. 

She snatched one and held it tight. 

Master Nala came over and picked her up. She brought her over to the other infants and placed her in the middle of them. 

Obi-wan just froze and stared at them. She might be a baby in size and body, but in her mind, she was near fifty years old. How do you interact with babies again when you are a baby? 

She could almost hear Tarre Vizsla laughing at her. She hoped that old Mandalorian would choke on his own armor. 

One older baby scooted closer to her to eye her up. 

She tried to wiggle backward as the toddler came closer. She was beginning to panic. Why was this baby coming at her like this?! She needed to defend herself! 

A calmness washed over her. 

Quinlan! She turned to face the kiffar. His eyes were closed as he concentrated. He peeked a look at her and beamed. “I did it. Look, Obi. Luminara won’t hurt you.” 

Obi-wan jerked her head back around to look at the advancing baby. She had the beginnings of familiar facial markings and the green skin of a Mirialan. 

The curious toddler scooted forward and laid a slimy hand on her face. 

Obi-wan reeled backward. She stared at the giggling toddler with an unimpressed look. Really? She just had to put her spit-soaked hand on her face. 

Did she mention that she hated being a baby? 

“No. Don’t be grumpy, Obi.” Quinlan scolded. He pulled out a ball of some sort from his robes. His gloved hands gently cradled the toy. “Come on Obi, let’s play.” 

Quinlan raised his hand and the ball floated to Obi-wan. “Catch it, Obi! Catch it!” 

When the ball reached her it began to fall from the air. Obi-wan decided to play. This game was easy. 

She focused and reached out her own hand. Chubby as it was with her short stubby little fingers too. She caught it with the Force. She beamed. See? Easy. 

Within two seconds after thinking that, the Force failed her and the ball dropped to the carpet. She stared at it in shock. What? That game was supposed to be easy! She’s a fully trained Jedi Master! She will not be defeated by a stupid ball. 

“Don’t worry, Obi. You’ll get it.” Quinlan made the ball float back to him. “Let’s try again.” 

They played a few more rounds. Every time she caught the ball, the Force would fail her and it would hit the floor. 

She stared at her hands in dismay. What was wrong with her? 

“You’re doing great, Obi! It took me until I was three to master that. Well, that’s what Master Tholme says.” Quinlan cheered her on as she caught the ball again and yet again it fell to the ground. 

She could sense the other infants getting curious. 

Toddler Luminara scooted closer. “Me!” She yelled. 

Obi-wan flinched. That was loud. 

“Me! Me!” She called out reaching for the ball. 

“You want to try Luminara?” Quinlan floated the ball over to her. 

The Mirialan toddler caught it and it fell to the floor within seconds of her using the Force. 

Obi-wan frowned. That was pretty much what happened to her. She might need to speak with the Masters tonight. She had some questions. 

*****

Obi-wan put up a half-hearted fuss when Quinlan was called away. She knew he had stayed a little too long with her. She appreciated seeing her old friend again and now that she knew Luminara Undulli was in the creche with her, she felt a little better. 

Maybe Quinlan was right and she did need to socialize more. Who else was in the creche right now? Was Shaak Ti here? Was Kit Fisto? Who else in Obi-wan’s age group and slightly older were here right now? 

Obi-wan ate her dinner of mush and went to bed easily. Master Nala seemed suspicious but Obi-wan gave her an innocent smile. 

“You’re going to be trouble when you get older.” She murmured as she pulled the soft blanket around Obi-wan’s tiny frame in the crib. 

She had no idea. 

Obi-wan obediently closed her eyes and made her breathing even. She made her body limp as she waited for the creche Master to buy her act. 

Master Nala seemed uncertain but she shut out the main light and left on little ones that lit up like stars. She then headed for her own rooms in the nursery. 

Once Obi-wan was sure Master Nala was gone, she opened her eyes. Obi-wan tried to sit up. She grunted as her body refused to cooperate. Looks like she is going to have to meditate without being in her usual position. 

Obi-wan settled back on the thin mattress and closed her eyes. She kept her breathing deep and even as she slipped into the Force. 

*****

_ Obi-wan blinked and she found herself in the middle of the council rooms in that underground cave.  _

_ She looked down at her hands and gave a slight bounce. She was an adult again!  _

_ A deep laugh reached her ears. “How is everything going? Did you make it okay?”  _

_ Annoyance flared up in her. “No!” She snapped. “Do you know how irritating it is to be an infant again after you had been an adult for near fifty years? It’s horrible! The diapers, the food, my body is weak and I need naps all the time.”  _

_ Tarre Vizsla laughed again. “That will pass with time. Soon, you will be able to do adult things again, Ob’ika.”  _

_ She scowled and tucked her fists in her robes. “Are you making fun of me?”  _

_ “A little.” Tarre chuckled. “You are a cute baby. If I were there, I would have adopted you in an instant.”  _

_ Obi-wan hoped her blush was gone despite that she was living again. She ducked her head at the thought of this Jedi Master adopting her as his own.  _

_ “You have questions, Young One?” Tarre motioned for her to sit on a chair next to him in the huge semicircle of seats.  _

_ Obi-wan hesitated.  _

_ Tarre waved her on. “That seat is yours, Ob’ika. It was made for you. You are still apart of our council even though you are far away.”  _

_ Obi-wan sat in the chair. It immediately formed itself into the comfiest chair she had ever sat in. Somehow it formed to her body to fit perfectly.  _

_ “Now. Your questions.” Tarre listened as she described her game with Quinlan and the difficulties she had with it.  _

_ “We put restrictions on you so you would not give yourself away. It is very important that no one knows you are from the future. Your ease with the Force will come back with every skill you learn. As soon as your body gets the concept of it, your skill level will go back.” Tarre explained. “I’m sorry, Ob’ika that this is frustrating, but you can still help even when you are an infant.”  _

_ “How? I can’t do anything.” Obi-wan threw her hands up.  _

_ “Your friend, Quinlan Vos. How did he start his path to the Darkside?” Tarre waited patiently for Obi-wan to get it.  _

_ She thought hard. “His parents? They were murdered and his Aunt forced him to relive their deaths with his psychometry.” She vaguely remembered hearing about that.  _

_ Tarre nodded his head. “Yes. And how can you help him?”  _

_ Obi-wan wrinkled her brow as she thought through plans. “If I can get him accepted at the temple full time, he won’t be there for his parents’ deaths. It will still hurt but he won’t experience their deaths through his gifts. That darkness won’t corrupt him. But how can I get him there full time?” She spoke slowly as she sorted her thoughts.  _

_ Tarre Vizsla smirked. “Enjoy being an infant, Ob’ika. They do tend to make a lot of fuss.” He touched her forehead...  _

  
  


****

  
  


… and Obi-wan opened her eyes to a worried Master Nala. 

Master Nala had her wrapped in her Force Presence. 

Obi-wan didn’t like it. Part of her felt comforted and safe and the other part screamed about being restrained. 

Obi-wan began fussing. She tried kicking her legs and wriggling to get out of the Master’s hold. She hadn’t been touched like this for a while. She didn’t like it. 

“Shh. Shh. Little one. Calm down, Obi-wan.” Master Nala hushed her and whatever feelings she was having in the Force was carefully shut away. “You slipped deep. Hush now.” 

Obi-wan felt tired. Her eyes drooped. Master Nala began humming. Obi-wan felt herself relaxing in the Creche Master’s arms. 

“Called for me, you did Master Nala?” 

Obi-wan felt too sleepy to do much more than twitch at Yoda’s voice. 

“Yes, Master. I have never seen anything like the behavior this youngling does.” 

Obi-wan felt more than heard her words. 

“She doesn’t play or socialize with the other younglings. She eats her food so neatly. And just now, I could have sworn she was meditating. I felt her slip into the Force like a trained master. I’m worried. Is there something wrong with her? I can’t feel any illness with the Force. I’m not a trained healer. I-” 

“Calm yourself you must, Master Nala. See the healer’s tomorrow, the youngling will. An eye, keep on her tonight.” 

“Yes, Master. I will stay with her-” 

Obi-wan couldn’t stay awake any longer. She slipped off to sleep, turning over Tarre’s words in her head. 

****

Obi-wan woke up with a plan. It might be a little childish but hey, children are good at being devious at things they want. 

Obi-wan was in a large bed. She felt uncomfortable at the fact that Master Nala was right next to her. 

The adult’s pillow was placed on the edge of the bed so she couldn’t roll off. Master Nala was sleeping with her arm tucked under her head. Her other arm was… oh. Draped over her waist. 

Obi-wan squirmed. This was really uncomfortable. Obi-wan froze as Master Nala woke with a gasp. The Creche Master sat up halfway and blinked around at the room. Her gaze settled on Obi-wan and she smiled. 

“Good morning, Little One.” Master Nala got out of bed. She set her blanket in a roll on the other side of Obi-wan. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes in respect for privacy as Master Nala changed her robes. She flailed a little when she felt herself get picked up. She was strapped to Master Nala’s chest in a baby sling. Then Master Nala went about her morning routine with the other children. 

Obi-wan watched as Master Nala fed the rest of the babies. She ate her own vile mush without much fuss. She was strapped back in the sling after breakfast. 

Obi-wan listened to the gossip the other creche masters gave out. She tried to pick out members of her age group from before. Obi-wan was soon carried from the creche and into the main temple. 

“And where are you headed off to, Master Nala?” A voice called playfully. “I always knew you would steal a baby one day from the creche.” 

“Very funny.” Master Nala sniffed at the teasing. “If you must know, I’m taking the young one to a healer.” 

The other’s Force presence immediately became concerned. “Oh? Anything serious?” 

“Nothing serious, Qui-gon. Just… some things don’t make sense about this little one. In all my years of taking care of the young ones, I have never seen an infant act the way Obi-wan does.” Master Nala swayed side to side. 

Obi-wan perked up at the name Qui-gon. She wanted to see him! She wiggled and cried soft cries until Master Nala undid the baby sling to see what was wrong. Obi-wan lifted her head and promptly burst out laughing. 

Her old master was young! His hair was not yet greyed and he was not as big and bulky. He was barely in his young adult years. That wasn’t what made her laugh though. Her Master was clean-shaven with a short haircut and looked like he lost a fight with a giant dust ball. He was covered head to toe in a fine layer of dirt. He had a cobweb reaching down from his forehead like a lace cap.

Qui-gon just watched her laugh with amusement written on his face. “I guess I do look a little funny.” 

Obi-wan let her giggles fade away. 

“What have you been up to, Qui?” Master Nala moved to put her back in the swing. 

Obi-wan grunted and batted at her fingers. 

Master Nala huffed. “Fine, Young One. Have it your way.” 

Master Nala moved Obi-wan so she was facing out with her back to Master Nala’s chest. She was strapped back into the sling, this time with her face watching everything she could get her eyes on. 

“I thought you weren’t supposed to give in to behavior like that.” Qui-gon turned away from his destination and followed her and Master Nala down the hall. 

“Obi-wan is… different.” Master Nala’s smooth gait made Obi-wan sleepy. 

“How so?” Qui-gon walked beside them. The cobweb on his head bobbed with his own stride. 

“She’s not like the others. She eats her food neatly, doesn’t play or interact with others, she goes to sleep easily. She does cry like normal, but every time I go to change her she gets disgruntled and frustrated when she makes a mess as all babies do. It’s worrying.” 

Master Nala must have been good friends with Qui-gon to lay out her problems like this. She wondered why she had never met the kind Master when she was Qui-gon’s padawan the first time. 

“Maybe she is gifted in the mind? There are some who have little quirks that are different than others. Master Saan has that thing about touch and texture. I don’t think I have seen another Jedi wearing anything different than our normal robes.” Qui-gon offered. 

Master Nala ran a hand over Obi-wan’s head. “Maybe. I’ll see you later, Qui-gon. You might not want to enter the healing halls with all the dirt on you. You look like you battled a dust creature and lost.” 

“Master Dooku had me helping Master Nu in the archives. There were some old boxes he had found and Master Nu wanted help going through them. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that Master Dooku and Master Nu were in a relationship.” Qui-gon laughed. “Your face.” 

“Hush.” She sniffed. “My Master may have feelings for the man but she would never act on them. It is against the Jedi code.” 

“I will let you go now. I need a trip to the shower. Let me know about the condition of the Young One. I’m curious.” Qui-gon bowed before heading back the way they came. 

“That man. He’s a great Jedi but not so great with people.” Master Nala shifted Obi-wan on her chest. “Let’s get you to the healers, Little One.” 

*****

Obi-wan was getting upset. She had been poked and prodded by the healers. Maybe she should put into motion her plan to save Quinlan? 

The healer came at her with yet another tool. 

Obi-wan kicked her legs and screamed. No more! She flailed her arms and legs and let out a screech. She kicked and cried. She poured all her feelings about Quinlan into one huge force wave and pushed it out of her. 

She must have been more powerful than she thought because things not secured down floated in the air before being slammed and shoved back. 

Master Nala was instantly there and soothing her as best as she could. 

Obi-wan played up the dramatics. She whined, she cried and despite hating to do so, she shoved her head in Master Nala’s shoulder and whimpered. 

She should get a kriffing medal for this acting. Quinlan deserved this though. He was worth the humiliation she felt at throwing a fit like some common… child. 

“Oh, Little One…” Master Nala ran her hand along her back. “It’s okay. They’re done. They’re all done.” 

Obi-wan huffed with hidden frustration. They still didn’t get it! She needed another plan. 

Obi-wan was carried back to the creche after a few words exchanged between the healer and Master Nala. Her mind was working overtime, trying to figure out a way to make sure Quinlan stayed in the temple with her. 

She didn’t want to manipulate him so showing the creche masters his gifts was out. She never wanted to do that anyway. That was wrong and she vowed to never use his gifts like that in her first time and she was keeping her promise in this time. 

She didn’t even know how old she was. Depending on if she was old enough, in a few weeks she might be able to say part of his name. 

But, if her suspicions were correct and she had been sent back to her very beginning with the Jedi Order, she couldn’t have been older than three months. She was given to the Order when she was three months old. 

Wasn’t it six months when a baby started making understandable noises? That was too far away. 

But maybe… she needed to be prepared for a long term mission. Getting Quinlan here on a permanent basis was not going to be a quick and easy thing. 

*******

Obi-wan’s days passed without much happening. Every couple of days, she threw fits and let her feelings on Quinlan be known. 

The other’s didn’t get it, but Obi-wan was sure Master Nala was close to figuring it out. 

Obi-wan had one more trick up her sleeve to get Quinlan here full time. She went on an eating strike. She refused her daily servings of vile mush, she refused all bottles, she cried more because of the toll that took on her little body. 

She never knew that she could be this hungry after a solid day of not eating. She could go for three days without eating when she was twelve years old. 

She firmly pushed aside the memories of Bandomeer. That was a pain-filled road she did not want to go down. 

“Come on, Young One. You have to eat something.” The creche master rubbed the nipple of a bottle over her mouth. 

Obi-wan scowled and turned her face away. 

“Oh, how I wish Master Nala was here.” The creche master switched her to his left arm and moved the bottle to his right. “Come on, Obi-wan. Drink the milk.” 

The bottle was pressed to her face again. She turned her head away from it in clear disapproval. Obi-wan scrunched her face up and yelled out. 

The creche master quickly wrapped her up in his Force presence. He paused with the last little bit left undone. “Oh, Little One.” He sighed and placed the last piece of himself around her. “Don’t worry. We’ll find your bond-mate and get them to come to visit.” 

Obi-wan blinked in surprise. He finally got it? This stranger she had never met before? 

She felt the creche master pose a question in her mind. She sent back a mental picture of a young Quinlan Vos. It was nice finally being able to communicate a little. 

Her tummy growled and she sent the creche master a pleading picture of food. Not the vile mush or even the warm milk, but a picture of mashed tubers and a nice meaty gravy. 

He laughed. “Okay, Obi-wan. I’ll see what I can do.” The creche master headed for a holocom table. He paused before hitting the button to turn it on. “Now, Obi-wan. If I get you this, you have to promise me you will never refuse to eat again. That is very bad and you don’t want to be bad, do you?” 

Obi-wan was still wrapped in his presence so she sent him a picture of her eating her mush without complaint. That was age-appropriate, right? 

“Then deal, Little One.” The creche master called down to the mess hall to order her a bowl of mashed tubers, some gravy, and applesauce. 

Obi-wan felt her mouth water at the thought of tasting actual food. To her horror, drool slipped out of her mouth and down onto the nice creche master’s shirt. She slipped back with wide eyes. 

The creche master just laughed. “Never wear your good robes when dealing with children. Come on, Obi-wan. Let’s get you some food and then you can have some playtime with the others. I’ll see about having your bond-mate here. They are very important.” 

Later that night, Obi-wan laid in her crib and wondered at what species that creche master was. 

Calling Quinlan her bond-mate was an unusual phrasing for it. They spoke the words like they were very important. Like they needed the proper awe he used in his tone. 

What species valued the special connections between people? What kind of people saw bonds as something special to be protected and nourished? 

Or maybe… it was something special to just that master. That idea seemed to ring true in the Force. 

Who was that creche Master? 

Obi-wan was full from her special dinner so she was also tired. She fell asleep with a smile on her face. 

She would see Quinlan soon. She was sure of it. 

****

It was another month before she saw Quinlan. At first, she was disgruntled and felt hurt that the creche master lied to her. But then reason kicked in and she figured out that there were a lot of hoops to jump through because of course, Quinlan was kiffar royalty. 

Obi-wan was a proud five months old when Quinlan showed back up. 

The now five years old kiffar hesitantly entered the room. “Obi-wan?” 

Obi-wan squealed and threw herself against Master Nala who was holding her. She waved her arms and laughed as Quinlan looked at her with big eyes. 

“She got bigger.” Quinlan smiled. “She sure grows fast. Maybe she will be my age soon and we can play.” 

“Lan! Lan!” Luminara toddled over to Quinlan. “Hi! I three.” 

Quinlan placed his hand on Luminara’s head. “I’m five. I just had a Lifeday.” 

“Me too!” Luminara beamed up at him. “Cake!” 

“I had cake too. It was yummy.” Quinlan pointed to one of Luminara’s friend. “I’m going to see Obi-wan. You can go play and I’ll be right there.” 

“Ball?” Luminara looked at him with pleading eyes. 

“Yes. I brought my ball. We can play soon.” Quinlan made his way over to where Obi-wan was still struggling in her captor’s arms. 

“Hi, Obi!” Quinlan sent a wave of greeting through the Force. 

Obi-wan froze. She felt tears spring to her eyes as memories she had been suppressing washed over her. She reached for the kiffar as tears rolled down her cheeks. She missed him. She missed one of her very best friends. 

Quinlan sat down in a chair and Obi-wan was placed in his arms. “Don’t cry, Obi. Everything is okay. Did you hear about what I did? It was almost my Lifeday and I was sneaking into my parents’ rooms. They always get me the best gifts.” 

Quinlan went on the tell a story about him going around his family’s home and trying to convince his family to spill what they got him for his Lifeday. He told about how he was practicing something he saw Master Tholme do. 

Quinlan was well on his way to being a Jedi Shadow. 

He finished his tale with how he got caught sneaking in the kitchen and had to clean his room all by himself or he would not have cake on his Lifeday. 

Obi-wan smiled. That was her Quinlan. The one that snuck around causing mischief. The one who fell to the Darkside was also her Quinlan but a little more broken by what life caused him. 

Obi-wan tried talking to him but all that came out was babbles. She squinted and concentrated. She would not be bested by this. “Lan.” She blinked. That was actually passable. 

“Lan.” She tried again. 

Quinlan didn’t seem to hear her. 

Obi-wan waved her hand and smacked him on the chest. She tried to say it again but only broken syllables came out. 

“It’s okay, Obi.” Quinlan shushed her. “You’ll talk soon. Come on. Let’s go play. I brought my ball.” 

Obi-wan spent the rest of the day playing with Quinlan and the other children. It wasn’t so bad. Despite all the pressure on her to save the Jedi Order, playing with Quinlan and the other children let her forget for a while. Plus, it had the advantage of practicing her Force using techniques. 

Obi-wan pretended she couldn’t feel the other creche masters’ approval. 

****

Quinlan stayed a few days before leaving again. Obi-wan kicked up a fuss. No! This was supposed to work! Was she back to the drawing board again? 

Obi-wan was despondent for a week. All that hard work and he leaves again? This was turning out harder than she thought. 

Obi-wan decided to meditate again. She needed something to cheer her up and conversing with Tarre always did. 

Obi-wan waited this time until she was sure Master Nala was asleep. Obi-wan was bigger now and she could barely pull herself up but she figured laying down was the better choice. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes and slipped into the Force. 

**** 

_ Tarre Vizsla was not there to greet her this time. Instead, Master Kiwiiks was seated in her room with the glowing flowers.  _

_ “Master Kenobi. How are things going?” The Togruta greeted her warmly.  _

_ “I don’t know. I’m trying, but nothing is working. It’s frustrating being an infant again. Nobody can understand me. Why did you send me back that far?” Obi-wan sat down when Master Kiwiiks motioned her too.  _

_ “Sometimes we need to see a different perspective to understand. This choice is hard for Quinlan. He has parents that love him and treasure him. They might not understand his gifts, but they do try. Give him some time.” Master Kiwiiks gives her a reassuring smile.  _

_ Obi-wan felt a little better but not much. Quinlan had parents who loved him. Was she doing the right thing by having him living in the temple away from them?  _

_ “Don’t stress, Obi-wan. You are going to worry yourself back here if you keep that up.” Master Kiwiiks teased. “How is it seeing your friends young? You are a cute baby for a humanoid.”  _

_ Obi-wan sighed. “You and Master Vizsla, who else is watching me and is going to comment on how cute of a baby I am?”  _

_ “We all are watching you, but Tarre, Yona, and I have taken a… special interest in you.” Master Kiwiiks touched her arm. “Give him time to chose. I know he’s only a boy but this decision can change his life.”  _

_ **** _

Obi-wan woke up feeling slightly rested but not much. She was curious about the creche masters. They seemed to be moving around much faster than normal. 

Master Nala was distracted. She gave Obi-wan her usual mush and didn’t mind when Obi-wan ate as neatly as she always did. 

Obi-wan was strapped to Master Nala’s chest for part of the day. Obi-wan just watched as Master Nala went about the day. Her mind was turning. 

She had long given up on the fact of having loving parents. She had the Jedi Order. What more did she need? Why did she feel so bad when she thought about Quinlan and the choice he had to make? 

About lunchtime was when the activity really started to pick up. 

Master Nala leaned out of the way as one of her fellow masters went around the rooms in a flurry. 

“He’s going to be here any minute.” The master fretted. 

“Calm down, Padawan.” Master Nala soothed. 

Padawan? That person looked like a… oh. Now she could see it. Drat being so small. That was an older padawan but still a padawan. 

“Release your worries into the Force. He is like any other child.” Master Nala ran her hand over Obi-wan’s hair. 

Obi-wan squinted and could make out the yellow marks signaling a kiffar. What was going on? 

“But he’s not just any child he’s my clan’s…” The padawan began to huff in frustration. 

“Obi!” A voice called. 

Obi-wan blinked stunned eyes as Quinlan came running up to her. 

“Hi, Obi! I’m gonna be here for a few months with you. My parents said I can stay with you for part of the year and then I have to be home but if you promise to be good I will come back.” Quinlan spoke so quickly Obi-wan barely caught it. 

Obi-wan waved her hands at Quinlan. It wasn’t what she was hoping for, but it was better than nothing. She tried saying his name. She managed a half Lan that came out as la. 

“La!” She leaned towards her friend. “La.” 

Quinlan’s eyes went wide. “Did she just say my name?” 

“I think she is trying. She can’t quite make the sounds yet. She’ll get there eventually.” Master Nala moved to place her on the floor. “Why don’t you guys play? Obi-wan might like that.” 

That was how the first three months of her new life began. She knew it would not be this easy all the time. She had her mission from Tarre to think about, she had other plans to make. 

But right now, playing with Quinlan? That showed her that she needed her family. And she was determined to save them all. 


	3. Chapter Two -Bruck Chun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan runs across someone she had a history with. She decided to do something about it.

Being a one-year-old was much better than being a three-month-old. 

She knew the other creche masters talked about her. As soon as she could walk, she toilet trained herself. She was never going in another diaper ever again. Not even if she grew old and senile. She could talk better than most kids her ‘age’ and she could understand a whole lot more. 

The creche masters were throwing words out like ‘gifted’ and ‘prodigy’. 

Obi-wan would scoff at that but she needed to maintain her cover. She had meditated a lot more times in the seven months since she managed to get Quinlan to stay at the temple on a semi more permanent basis. 

Each time she was greeted with either Tarre, Master Kiwiiks, or Yona (Yoda’s Aunt). 

Obi-wan was raring to go on how to stop things. She thought she was hiding it, but Tarre called her out on it one of the times she meditated... 

****

_ “Ob’ika. What is your hurry?” Tarre motioned for her to hit the bag full of sand in front of them.  _

_ It was weird in this place because she wasn’t exactly solid. Tarre had taught her how to solidify objects in this plane of existence. She still had trouble with it. The Mandalorian then suggested she try out his bag to see her get some practice in. She struggled with it and sometimes, her hand would fly through the bag instead of on it.  _

_ “It’s just…” She huffed for breath. “I’m just… I’m sick of waiting around. Playing with Quinlan and mastering the Force is distracting but I need something to occupy my mind. I need…”  _

_ “Something to do to distract you from your memories of war.” Tarre filled in.  _

_ Obi-wan’s concentration slipped and the bag disappeared right when she put her fist towards it. Since Tarre was standing behind the bag, her fist landed through his stomach.  _

_ She caught the faintest of his feelings. Pain, sorrow, joy, pride. It was an interesting combination to feel both sadness and happiness at the same time. And what was with his pride? What was he proud about? _

_ She didn’t comment on his feelings. She just shook out her fist and reformed the bag. She sent another punch to the packed sand.  _

_ Tarre hummed for a moment before flicking his fingers and the bag vanished. “Come, Ob’ika. We must talk.”  _

_ **** _

And so began her nightly visits to Tarre Vizsla to work out her feelings. Some nights they wouldn’t say much and he would have her go over katas and lightsaber forms until she felt exhausted. The following days were always interesting. 

It was almost like Tarre took it upon himself to make her mentally healthy. They talked about Bandomeer and Melida/Daan. Some nights she got choked up and Tarre let her beat his armored chest with her fists until she was spent. They were approaching the topic of Qui-gon currently. 

Tarre was hinting about things Obi-wan really did not want to think of at the moment. 

She forced her mind to other things like... Quinlan had gone back to his family about two weeks ago. Tomorrow the creche master was taking them to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Luminara had graduated to a clan. 

Obi-wan focused on lifting a block to add to her tower. As she had grown, she kind of had taken the others under her wing. She would play, yes, but she would play by practicing her Force techniques and would make things for the others to knock down or take apart. 

She was placing the final block (a red triangle) on top of the small tower when her concentration was lost as she felt someone who had long passed into the Force. 

She turned her head to watch as a young boy was led into the room. He couldn’t have been older than four and his white hair was very distinctive. 

She felt conflicting emotions at seeing her childhood bully again. She tried releasing them into the Force but the emotions overwhelmed her. Her history with this particular boy brought a wobble to her lip and tears to her eyes. 

Obi-wan refused to let him see her cry. She swiped her face and set her jaw. Looks like her next mission just walked in the room. 

*****

Obi-wan stayed away from Bruck Chun for the rest of the day. She had conflicting emotions and wished, for the first time ever, to talk to Tarre and sort this out. 

Obi-wan huddled in her bed waiting for the other kids to fall asleep. Since she turned one (again), she was moved from her private crib to another bigger one with higher rails in a room with all the other kids between one and four. 

One by one the others drifted off to sleep. She could feel their Force presences soften as they slept. One remained and she had a bad feeling she knew who it was. 

Quiet sniffling reached her ear and Obi-wan closed her eyes. From what she remembered of Bruck he would not take too kindly to her comforting him right now. He would scorn her and hate her even more for seeing his weakness. 

Obi-wan slipped into her nightly meditation accompanied by the soft sounds of Bruck’s crying. 

****

_ Obi-wan opened her eyes. She was in the main area of the temple. Her heart was still aching over what had happened today. Hearing an argument did not make her feel better until she heard what they were arguing about.  _

_ “No, Tarre. You have hogged her for months. You are not doing this one.” Master Kiwiiks displayed some of her ‘great hunter’ heritage by bearing her sharp teeth at the armored Jedi.  _

_ “Agreed. Help her, I will.” Yona smacked her cane on the ground to emphasize her point.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks turned her fierce look to Yona before pulling back in respect. “Sorry, Master Yona but I will.”  _

_ Obi-wan was about to clear her throat to make her presence known but Tarre brought up something she desperately wanted to hear.  _

_ “My Mandalorians I and have the right-”  _

_ Obi-wan must have made some noise because Master Kiwiiks froze. “Hush. She is here.”  _

_ All three masters turned to look at her. She looked at them with a smile on her face. “Hello there. Why don’t I chose who can help me with my next mission? Because I have found one.”  _

_ “Who do you wish to help you?” Master Kiwiiks raised her eye marking.  _

_ Obi-wan bit the inside of her cheek. “All of you.” She decided. “This one… might be a little much.”  _

_ Obi-wan sat in the middle of Master Kiwiiks room. Those strange flowers that lit up and dimmed in an unknown pattern were perfectly fitting of the older togruta.  _

_ Obi-wan hesitantly began to explain her next mission. She told of her history with Bruck Chun that happened the first time around. From the horrible nickname Oafy-wan to the competition between them for Qui-gon’s attention to his betrayal and his death.  _

_ Obi-wan tried to keep all the emotions from showing but a comforting hand from Tarre on her shoulder broke her. She let out the emotions from seeing Bruck Chun again. She released them into the Force with the help of the three masters before her.  _

_ “What now, will you do?” Yona laid her hand on Obi-wan’s knee.  _

_ “I… I don’t know. I need more information on him. All I know is that he is mean and cruel.” Obi-wan hated to even think this but if she couldn’t save Bruck? How could she manage to save Dooku, Ventress, or even Xanatos from falling? How would she stop the Sith then?  _

_ “Hmm.” Yona tapped Obi-wan’s knee to get her attention. “Come. The Waters of Abagoul you must see.”  _

_ “I don’t think I have enough time tonight, Master Yona. It was late when I arrived and if I hold this any longer then I’m afraid I’ll be in trouble again with the creche masters. I know I’m technically still a baby and I can nap throughout the day, but I really don’t like to.” Obi-wan looked apologetically at the three masters.  _

_ “Tomorrow night, then. You will look into the Waters of Abagoul. Sweet dreams, Obi-wan.” Yona stood up and walked from the room, her cane tapping out with her as she went.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks gave a sharp look at Tarre. She spoke in a language that Obi-wan had never heard before. It must have been an ancient dead dialect. “Tomorrow, think of a plan for Bruck Chun and we will show you your information. Rest well, Young One.” Master Kiwiiks gave her a warm smile and glided from the room.  _

_ Obi-wan wrung her hands in nerves. “Tarre.” She looked up and met his eyes. “What were you going to say before I showed up? You and your Mandalorians have the right to… what?”  _

_ Tarre looked uncomfortable. “It is not important now, Ob’ika. Get some rest. We will talk tomorrow.”  _

_ Before Obi-wan could protest, Tarre touched her forehead and she felt herself go from meditation into a nice sleep.  _

_ *** _

Obi-wan woke up early the next morning. She was well-rested and her mind was clear. She needed to observe today. And she needed to watch where she walked because she refused to be saddled with the name Oafy-wan again. 

Obi-wan ate her breakfast of Nuna eggs and toasted bread with butter. She kept her eyes on the white-haired boy as he picked at his own breakfast. 

Every time he would look up, she would look away.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him and managed to walk just fine for the rest of the morning. 

Lunch passed almost the same way. She ate her food and watched Bruck. 

Naptime came and despite her dislike, she drifted off with a little difficulty. 

Then came the afternoon and the Room of A Thousand Fountains. Then came the place where she was forced to watch him die as Bant was chained below in the lake. 

She couldn’t do it anymore and stayed far away from him. She knew it was a mistake halfway through their time in the garden. The other kids weren’t really playing with him. That would only make things worse. It was a delicate balance, she mused, between being his friend and being the focus of his bullying again. 

Obi-wan stood up from the grass and marched over to the four-year-old. Time to bring out the acting skills. “Play.” She demanded. 

Bruck looked up from where he was sitting alone by a bush. “Huh?” He eyed her with interest. 

“Leaf. Play.” She tried to raise a bunch of leaves with the force and purposely let them fall a few inches from the ground. “Play.” 

Bruck just sat there with a shocked expression on his face. 

“Play.” She insisted. She plopped on the ground next to him. “See?” She pushed herself up on her knees to see what he was looking at. 

A fuzzy green and yellow caterpillar was crawling across a blade of grass. 

“Pretty.” She reached for it, waiting for Bruck to do something. Anything. 

A hand reached out and grabbed hers before she could touch the bug. “Don’t.” He warned. “My dad taught me about these. Do you know what these are? These are caterpillars. Dad says they spend almost all their time eating and then they hibernate for a few weeks as they change into a butterfly.” 

Obi-wan listened to her old bully explain to her about butterflies. She was shocked. Maybe there was more to him than she thought. 

“I’m Bruck Chun.” He introduced. 

Obi-wan smiled. “Me Obi!” She patted her chest. “Obi! Bru!” She reached out and patted Bruck’s arm. 

“No Obi. Bru _ ck. _ ” He enunciated his name, placing emphasis on the ck sound. 

“Bru!” She said again. 

“No. Bruck.” He sighed. “You’ll get it soon. Wanna find more bugs?” 

Obi-wan stood up and followed Bruck through the bushes. Maybe he wasn’t so bad? 

Obi-wan forced herself to squeal in happiness every time Bruck found a new bug to show her. From the ladybugs to the spiders and the … and here she gave a shudder… worms, she let him know how happy she was at finding them. 

Soon, the creche master called them together. 

Obi-wan walked after Bruck as the boy led the way back to the others. “Bru? Play?” 

“We have to go back with the teacher, Obi. Next time, we can play.” Bruck came to a stop before the creche master. 

Obi-wan felt a true smile show up on her face. It startled her. Was she actually… having fun with her old bully? 

At least this first meeting went better than before. 

*****

Obi-wan was ready for bed sooner than everyone else. She was eager to meet with the Masters and find out more about Bruck. Just what was he hiding that made him into the cruel child she knew? 

Obi-wan impatiently waited until all the kids fell asleep. She laid down and slipped into the Force. 

^^^^

_ “Masters.” She greeted Tarre, Master Kiwiiks, and Yona. The three were gathered before the pool of water in the main room.  _

_ “Come, Obi-wan Kenobi, and look into the Waters of Abagoul.” Tarre gestured at the pool of water. “Focus on what you wish to see.”  _

_ Obi-wan looked at the water, feeling a little silly. How can looking in water show you the past? _

_ “It may seem silly, but these waters were touched by the Force long ago.” Master Kiwiiks nodded towards the water. “Look and think about what you wish to see.”  _

_ Obi-wan decided to try it out. How hard can simply looking into the water be?  _

_ Obi-wan looked and watched as her reflection changed into watching Bruck’s early life. How he was taught from birth that showing ‘weakness’ was wrong and that anyone who made him look weak deserved to be treated like they were weak. Strength was valued in his family. A skewed sense of strength and weakness seemed the be the main focus of his father.  _

_ The images changed to show a room full of small lights like stars on the ceiling. Groups of people milled around before Tarre stepped into the room with two familiar Mandos by his side.  _

_ “Have you seen it?” Tarre announced to the room eagerly. “Do you agree with it?”  _

_ “The girl has Mandokarla, yes. We saw. What do you wish to do, Mand’alor Vizsla?” A Mandalorian in green and yellow armor stepped forward.  _

_ “I wish to-”  _

_ “Obi-wan!”  _

_ She was yanked from the vision by a rough shake to her shoulders. Master Kiwiiks stood before her with concern in her blue eyes. “You were starting to pass out. What did you see?”  _

_ Obi-wan looked at Tarre with a thoughtful look. He did something. She could feel it. He did something that involved her and all the other Mandalorians in the afterlife. She forced her gaze away from Tarre and began telling about the first part of what she saw.  _

_ She would keep what she found out to herself. Maybe she could figure out what the old Mandalorian did and then confront him on it.  _

_ “So now you know his history. What will you do?” Master Kiwiiks sat down in a chair two seats over from Tarre’s chair. Obi-wan sat in hers. Yona sat down next to Master Kiwiiks in the seat between her’s and Obi-wan’s.  _

_ “Yes. What now, will you do?” Yona’s green eyes stared at her with warmth. Like she already knew what Obi-wan would decide and approved one hundred percent.  _

_ “I…” Obi-wan stalled.  _

_ Everything made so much sense. Why Bruck hated her the first time around. He was new to the creche and she had tripped into him, causing him to fall in front of others, making him think he was weak in front of new peers. His father’s teachings seemed embedded deep in his psyche. Bruck looked up to his father. He saw him as a great man and Bruck wanted that same thing. To be great. He wanted to make his father proud and be a great Jedi.  _

_ Obi-wan shot another look at Tarre. He was touching on things that she needed to think about now.  _

_ Maybe… maybe Qui-gon is not the best master for her. He was a good master but if she gets that apprenticeship at the cost of Bruck’s life…  _

_ Obi-wan forced herself away from those thoughts. She wouldn’t even be considered for an apprenticeship for another ten years at best. She had all the time in the galaxy to think on that train of thought later. For right now… she needed to think about the present.  _

_ “I think…” Obi-wan paused. If she went down this road, everything would be different. She might not have a bully. But then if she can’t save Xanatos, who would the Darksider corrupt to the Darkside?  _

_ Obi-wan made her choice. “I’m going to try to be his friend,” Obi-wan announced.  _

_ ***** _

Obi-wan woke up happy with another mission. Master Kiwiiks’ words came through her mind. 

_ “Be genuine in this plan Obi-wan. I fear if you fake being his friend and he finds out, things might be worse than you can imagine. Be safe and good luck.”  _

Obi-wan set about her morning with determination. Her plan of being Bruck’s friend was fresh on her mind. 

She beamed when she saw Bruck in the morning. “Bru!” She waved. “Hi!” 

Bruck looked like he was going to ignore her. He was sitting off by himself playing with some blocks. 

Obi-wan walked over to him. “Bru? Play?” 

Bruck scowled. “Not right now, Obi.” 

Obi-wan refused to acknowledge the memories that scowl brought up. “Play?” She deliberately pouted her lower lip. 

“I said, not right now, Obi! Go away and play with someone else!” Bruck stood up and moved away. 

Obi-wan sucked in her lower lip. Okay. So that didn’t work. She needed to try harder. 

Obi-wan thought about what she saw in the Waters of Abagoul as she ate her breakfast. Bruck was just picking at his own so she pocketed some of her toast. 

Later that morning she approached Bruck again. “Bru? Eat?” She pulled out her crumbled piece of toast. She held it out to him. 

Bruck turned away from her and scowled. “Why won’t you leave me alone? Girls are stupid.” Bruck stomped away without taking her offering. 

Obi-wan frowned. He didn’t want her around because she was a girl? If he thought girls were weak because of his dad, she was going to show his father just how wrong he was. 

Obi-wan set her jaw. She was not going to give up. 

Obi-wan tried two more times that morning with Bruck and twice he rejected her and moved away. 

At naptime, Obi-wan was getting desperate. She scowled at Bruck. The creche masters must have picked up on something because they got Master Nala. Master Nala swayed with Obi-wan in her arms to get her to sleep. 

“What’s going on, Little One?” Master Nala asked gently. 

“Bru, no like me.” Obi-wan scowled. She hated speaking like this but if she spoke normally it would draw more attention to her. “I play and he sends me away.” 

“Do you want to play with him and be his friend?” Master Nala turned in a dancing move and adjusted Obi-wan to lay down in her arms. 

“Yes. Bru lonely and I be his friend.” Obi-wan missed Master Nala’s concerned look. “Bru be happy.”

“Yes, Obi-wan. I think Bruck will be happy with you as his friend.” Master Nala laid down Obi-wan into her crib. “Get some sleep, Young One. Growing is so hard on the body.” 

Obi-wan fell asleep heedless of the little boy who caught every word and frowned. Why would Obi want to be his friend? The question running through his mind as he slept. 

Obi-wan woke up from her nap frowning. She had to try again. Bruck’s life depended on this. 

Obi-wan stayed away from Bruck for the rest of the afternoon. Instead, she observed the white-haired boy. 

Bruck seemed a little standoffish and a little snobby. He turned up his nose when others approached him. Subconsciously or not, it still didn’t endear him to the other kids. 

Obi-wan could not stop thinking about what she saw about Bruck and his family. She needed a new plan. Oh, she was still going to be tentative friends with him but she needed a new way to go about it without turning into a bully herself. Somehow, she needed to show him she wasn’t some simple weak girl like he must think. 

*****

Obi-wan got her opportunity the next day. 

After her nightly chat with Tarre that got crashed by Master Kiwiiks and Yona, she was mentally exhausted but that was nothing new to her. What was new today was that the creche masters were letting them back into the Room of A Thousand Fountains. 

Obi-wan had a plan for that. 

Despite being a one-year-old, she still had most of the coordination of her adult self. Climbing a tree should be easy or even a rock pile. She would show him that she wasn’t weak. 

Obi-wan started out on her mission. She eyed the humongous rock cliff that she knew was smaller than it looked. Because of her small size, it looked like it stretched all the way to the ceiling. 

Obi-wan looked back at the other kids playing nearby. She grit her teeth. She was doing this. For them, for Bruck, and for herself to prove the fact she was not weak. 

Obi-wan was halfway up before someone spotted her. Frantic calls of her name from the creche masters and other kids made her concentration slip for half a second but she shut it out. 

“Obi-wan! Get down from there!” The creche masters yelled. 

Someone started up behind her. Obi-wan climbed faster. She was a few feet from the top when she slipped and fell. 

Obi-wan didn’t scream as she fell the same way Bruck fell from the same cliff oh so long ago. If she died, she knew where she would end up. Back with Tarre and the others. 

Obi-wan’s body lurched as someone caught her in their arms. The adrenalin caught up to her and she began to shake. 

“Obi-wan!” The creche master sounded relieved but angry. “I wish you would tell me why you did this.” 

“Bru won’t be my friend.” Obi-wan pouted. “He thinks I’m stupid.” 

Bruck made a choking noise. 

Obi-wan turned to face him. “Play now?” She looked at him hopefully. 

Despite the shakes from her adrenalin high coming down, she was not phased. Jumping from a LAAT while it was in flight down onto a planet was more dangerous than that. 

Bruck looked like she had just smacked him with a long piece of wood. 

Obi-wan frowned when Bruck did nothing but stare at her. “Bru!” She whined from her spot in the creche master’s arms. “Play?” 

*****

Obi-wan ended up in trouble for her stunt. The creche master lectured her about ‘doing dangerous things like that to make a friend was not okay she could have gotten really hurt.’ 

Obi-wan listened with half an ear. It was the same boring lecture that she got from Cody every time she did something ‘stupid’ in the war. Though Cody used the Mando’a word for it. 

At least Cody made it more interesting by either cleaning his blaster when he lectured her or he was doing paperwork on a datapad. Something to distract both her and himself. 

Here, she had to sit still like a good girl and listen to the creche master drone on and on. She thinks her eyes must have glazed over at some point. 

Finally, she was released back to play with the other kids. Obi-wan built towers and let the others knock them down and then she moved on the putting together some puzzles. 

The whole time she could feel his eyes on her. Maybe she succeeded? 

****

Obi-wan was not prepared for the lecture from Tarre that night. The Mandalorian seemed furious with her and he let her know about it… 

****

_ “It was the only way!” Obi-wan yelled. She did not appreciate Tarre’s anger at her perceived stupidity. “He thought me weak! How else am I going to show him different without turning into a bully myself?”  _

_ Tarre gave a weary sigh and muttered something in Mando’a under his breath. “You’re right. I… I’m sorry Ob’ika.”  _

_ Obi-wan froze with shock. She had never seen a Mandalorian apologize before. She didn’t think they even had words for it in Mando’a.  _

_ “It was still stupid and reckless but I guess that’s part of your charm. You will be in far more danger later on. I better get used to it. If someone can manage the dead to have a heart attack it would be you Ob’ika.” Tarre was still talking. “Come, let’s practice Soresu.”  _

_ Obi-wan stood up and followed the Mandalorian Jedi as he pulled out a blaster. Obi-wan got into position and let her mind wander as muscle memory took over.  _

_ If her plan didn’t work, she needed a new one and fast.  _

_ ***** _

Bruck approached her a week after her fall from the cliff. He seemed nervous but hid it skillfully for a four-year-old. 

“Hi Bru.” She greeted cautiously. 

“Why do you want to be my friend?” Bruck blurted out. “The other kids don’t like me. Why are you different?” 

Obi-wan thought hard about her answer. If she answered wrong, she would hurt him and the bullying would happen again. “I like you.” She answered honestly. She let her words ring with truth through the Force. “Bru not nice to kids but I like you. I help you.” 

Bruck made a face. “Why do I even need friends?” He turned to leave but Obi-wan reached out and grabbed his sleeve. 

She looked at him seriously. “No one deserves to be alone.” She dropped the pretense of baby talk. “I like you because you were nice to me and showed me bugs. You can be a good person. I want to help you be a good person. Will you let me?” 

Bruck stared at her. “You are a weird person Obi. I guess you can be my friend.” 

Obi-wan let a true smile spread across her face. “Play now?” She pointed to the blocks. 

“Yes, Obi. We can play now.” 

“Bru friend?” 

“Yes, Obi. We’re friends.” Bruck led the way to the blocks, hopefully on a new path than the one from before. 

Things were changing. She hoped it was for the good of the galaxy. 


	4. Chapter Three - Yoda's Line Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are. Chapter Three. I split this into two parts because it was getting really long. In here there is more Jango/Obi interaction, and I think I might have done almost everything from Jangobi week. I really was inspired by it. You have four out of seven days so far in this fic. Some will be future and some are obvious now. Enjoy

A year passed slowly. Obi-wan was now two years old. Her visits with Tarre had slowed down to maybe once a week. She had to. Otherwise, she would have been caught meditating. 

Somehow her memories of being a three-month-old baby never faded. She could remember clearly having Quinlan come visit at the temple. He still wasn’t full time but more often than not he was here. 

Speaking of Quinlan… the seven-year-old kiffar was planning something. He kept looking around at the creche masters and looking thoughtful. 

Six-year-old Bruck was in on it. The two had met and sort of hit it off? Sometimes she thought they only got along for her sake. 

Obi-wan walked over to the two whispering friends. She crouched down behind a huge meditation pillow to listen. 

“How are we going to get out, genius?” Bruck scoffed at Quinlan. 

“Easy.” Quinlan grinned. “Garen and Luminara agreed to distract the masters this afternoon. We are going to Little Keldable.” 

Obi-wan’s eyes grew wide as she thought. Why were Quinlan and Bruck going to the Mandalorian space here on Coruscant? They might not hurt them because they are kids but they are Jedi…

“Why are we going there?” Bruck sounded like he was being snooty again. 

“Because of the-” 

“There you are.” A Padawan bent down and lifted Obi-wan into the air. “Boys, shouldn’t you be in classes?” 

“Yes.” Both Quinlan and Bruck bowed. 

“But, we wanted to see Obi.” Quinlan gave her a lazy smile. 

Obi-wan narrowed her eyes at the two. They were going to do something stupid and get in danger. She had to go with them. Or at least follow them. 

Obi-wan leaned away from the padawan who put her on her hip. “You can see Obi-wan after your class.” She gave them a pointed look. 

Obi-wan sighed. She couldn’t wait until she was five and could leave the nursery part of the creche. Three more years. Just three more years and finally she would have classes. Something interesting to take her mind off of the slow days in the nursery. 

The two boys waved at her and then ran off down the hall. 

“Boys.” The padawan rolled her eyes. “Come on Obi-wan. Snack time.” 

Obi-wan ate her snack thinking the whole time. Quinlan was going to get in trouble. She just knew it. She needed to save his and Bruck’s sorry hides. How was she going to escape this afternoon? 

Obi-wan lit on an idea. She smirked as she ate her Nubian pears for a snack. She was busting out of here. 

****

Naptime rolled around and she implemented her plan. She feigned being asleep until the padawan in charge left the room. 

Obi-wan used the force to jump over her crib rails. She landed on the floor without making a sound. She slowly walked through the halls throwing out a force suggestion of ‘don’t notice me, I’m not here’ 

She managed to make it to the hangers with great difficulty. She was so tired. She crawled into a speeder and waited. 

Sure enough, Bruck and Quinlan arrived and were arguing as they climbed into the transport. 

“Can you even fly one of these?” Bruck sneered. 

“Of course. Da was teaching me the last time I was home.” Quinlan sounded unsure. 

Shakily the speeder started up and flew off. 

Quinlan and Bruck argued the whole way. 

Obi-wan was clutching the seat where she was hiding. This was worse than flying with Anakin. A young Quinlan Vos should never be behind the yoke of a speeder. Obi-wan closed her eyes and held on tight as the speeder made its way to Little Keldable. 

Quinlan shakily parked the speeder and climbed out. “Come on. It should be right over here.” 

Bruck followed behind him, eyeing the Mandalorians with slight fear. He covered it up nicely and managed to look like spoiled royalty. 

Obi-wan smacked her face. They still needed to work on that. 

Obi-wan was climbing over the speeder’s edge when hands caught her around the waist and lifted her up. 

She flailed in the air before she was set on a metal armored hip. 

“And who are you, ad’ika?” The Mandalorian tightened his grip as she struggled to get down. 

“Put me down.” She scowled. She glared at the Mandalorian’s helmet. 

The Mandalorian chuckled. “Where is your family?” 

Obi-wan crossed her arms and refused to answer his questions. 

The Mandalorian just laughed and held her. “Alright. We can wait in silence then.” 

She could feel something from this Mandalorian but it was slightly muted by the armor he wore. She got a vague sense of worry and... anger? The Mandalorian was angry? 

Obi-wan tried everything to get down but this Mandalorian must have been an expert in baby wrestling. She gave up around the time that he laughed at her attempts. 

“Fiesty little Ad’ika, aren’t you?” He murmured. 

She didn’t know what he was waiting for. She crossed her arms and scowled. 

  
A speeder landed next to the one that Quinlan parked. Qui-gon and a teenager got out of it. Qui-gon looked around carefully before spotting her in the Mandalorian’s arms. 

“Obi-wan.” He said with a sigh of relief. 

The Mandalorian’s eyes narrowed as he took in Qui-gon and his padawan. “This your ad’ika Jetii?” 

“Yes. She escaped from the temple along with two other younglings. We have no clue how it happened.” Qui-gon reached out for her but the Mandalorian pulled back. He seemed reluctant to hand her over. 

Obi-wan scowled. What was it with Mandalorians and her? She reached out for her old master. The Mandalorian was forced to give her over or drop her. 

“Keep a closer eye on your young ones, Jetii.” The Mandalorian sneered. 

“Hey!” Obi reached out and smacked his helmet. “We’re supposed to be nice.” 

Qui-gon reacted like she committed the greatest sin ever and the hordes of hell were about to descend. He subtly reached for his lightsaber and his padawan did the same. 

The Mandalorian stared for a moment before he busted out laughing. “You’re right, Ad’ika. We are supposed to be nice.”

Quinlan and Bruck came back carefully shoving something in Quinlan’s robes. 

“Initiate Vos. Initiate Chun.” 

Both boys froze. 

“Master Jinn.” Quinlan greeted with a smile. “We were just…” 

“Come with me. My thanks for keeping an eye on Obi-wan.” Qui-gon gave a half bow to the Mandalorian before them. 

“My pleasure Jetii. She would make a great Mando’ade. You might not want her to come back here. She might never be yours again. Ret ad’ika.” The Mandalorian waved and walked off. 

Obi-wan blinked in shock. Was she Mando nip or something? First Tarre, then this random Mandalorian? 

Obi-wan shook herself from those ridiculous thoughts when she was shifted to another’s grip. 

Qui-Gon’s padawan held her awkwardly. “Master?” he called out nervously. 

“Take our speeder and follow behind me. I’ll be taking the two boys.” Qui-gon stepped into the driver’s side of the speeder that they took to get here. 

The padawan shifted to look at her. 

Obi-wan held back a gasp at the memories resurfacing. Bandomeer… hot blades… the restriction of a metal collar around her throat… the back-breaking work of swinging a pickaxe. 

“Hello, Obi-wan. I’m Xanatos.” The padawan said cautiously. 

****

Obi-wan was quiet on the way back to the temple. Xanatos had carefully buckled her into a safety seat and was steering the speeder with a tight grip. He kept looking back at Obi-wan to make sure she was alright. 

Obi-wan just blinked her eyes and stared at him. All the memories were pressing down on her. She grew tired. She had a big adventure. She walked all the way across the huge temple to the hanger, was scared for her life in a speeder that a young seven-year-old drove, wrestled with a Mandalorian, and now had the memories of Bandomeer shoved at her all within the space of two hours. She was exhausted. 

Obi-wan didn’t even know she was doing it but she slipped into meditation. She needed to see someone who hasn’t hurt her as he did. 

^^^^

_ Obi-wan blinked. She was standing in the middle of a different room than anything she had seen before.  _

_ It was empty and huge. She craned her neck to look up. Stars twinkled on the ceiling. Torches let off faint light around the edge of the room. In the middle was a large bonfire type thing. It was blazing brightly. Instead of chairs, huge tables were around the fire boxing it in the middle.  _

_ No one was there. The fire crackled merrily.  _

_ “Hello?” She called out. Where was she?  _

_ “You’re not supposed to be here Jetii.” A familiar voice called from a far table.  _

_ She spun around and spotted the firelight glinting off someone’s armor. “Who are you? Where am I?”  _

_ The figure spread his arms wide. “I’d say welcome to the Halls of the Ka’ra but I don’t feel like it.”  _

_ The Halls of the Ka’ra? Was she in the Mandalorian council rooms?  _

_ “I was looking for Tarre.” She stepped closer to the figure in beskar.  _

_ The figure got up and moved away. For every step she took forward, the Mandalorian took one back. It was like a dance. She stopped moving when the Mandalorian shifted.  _

_ “I don’t know what everyone sees in you. You’re just a Jetii.” The Mandalorian seemed like he was talking to himself.  _

_ “I don’t know what they see in me either.” She sat down on a nearby chair. “I don’t know how I’m going to do this. I’m stuck as a toddler while the person who made me a slave is driving me towards my home. I’m confused and lost and I need…” She sat up. She knew that voice now. She grit her teeth. “Why am I explaining myself to you?” She tried to keep the anger out of her voice.  _

_ It was all his fault. Him and his stupid choices. He didn’t give two thoughts to her people and what they suffered.  _

_ Her fists clenched on the tabletop in front of her. She shot a fierce scowl into the darkness where Jango Fett was hiding.  _

_ “I don’t know why either, Ob’ika.” Somehow he made the words that sounded so comforting from Tarre sound mocking.  _

_ She slammed her hands on the table and stood up, glaring at him. “Why do you hate me so much?” She demanded. “I did nothing to you!”  _

_ Jango stalked towards her. She could feel his anger through the Force and his intent to make her see reason. “You think you did nothing to me?”  _

_ Jango was so close she could feel a glimpse of his emotions. She backed off before she could understand any of them. “You and your people killed my family!” Jango took another step forward.  _

_ Fine. If he wasn’t going to back down, then she wasn’t going to either.  _

_ “I didn’t kill anybody important to you!” She shouted back. “When that happened I was stuck on a planet going through a civil war. I was fighting for my life with a bunch of children who just wanted the fighting to stop. Then, when it did stop, they exiled me because I wasn’t a part of their people. Then I spent the next year tracking a Darksider that wanted to blow up my home. I watched at thirteen years old as one of my friends was chained at the bottom of a lake and forced to stay there! I watched as my childhood bully died in my arms. I don’t know what kind of crap you lived through and I’m sorry for it, but you are not the only one who has gone through hard things in their life.”  _

_ They glared at each other. _

_ “Obi-wan! Jango!” Tarre’s voice cracked like a whip dissolving the tension between them.  _

_ Obi-wan felt like a scolded child when she saw Tarre’s disapproving look. Tarre spoke some words in Mando’a and gestured towards a side hall.  _

_ Jango shot her a glare before nodding to Tarre and heading towards the open doorway.  _

_ Tarre turned his disappointed look on Obi-wan. “I am very upset with you. We could hear you shouting all the way down in the training rooms.”  _

_ “He started it.” She flung her hand out at where Jango disappeared.  _

_ “And I am finishing it. If you two refuse to act like the adults you are then you will be treated like the children you are trying to be.” Tarre stared at her. “Jango will be helping you with your next mission.”  _

_ Obi-wan’s jaw dropped. “No!” She yelled out.  _

_ “These halls are sacred. There is no fighting in here. You will either work out your differences by working together or you will have some other way to do so.” Tarre motioned for her to follow him. “What is troubling you, Ob’ika?”  _

_ “Besides, Jango Fett.” She snarked. At Tarre’s stern look she sighed. “I met Xanatos today. In fact, he’s driving me back to the temple because Quinlan and Bruck teamed up and snuck out. I followed them.”  _

_ Tarre didn’t seem surprised. Tarre led her into a room that screamed home. There were rugs on the floor, a window letting in light, a kitchen on one wall, and a few bed mats on another.  _

_ Jango was seated at the table with Mand’alor Mereel. She recognized that armor.  _

_ “Have you decided?” Mand’alor Mereel looked over at Tarre.  _

_ “Yes. Jango will be helping her with her next mission. If they can’t get along then they will work together until they do.” Tarre took a seat next to Mand’alor Mereel.  _

_ “I will have to come back later.” She ignored Jango’s dismissive snort. “You have my permission to fill him in. I have been here too long already.”  _

_ “We will see you later. Ob’ika?” Tarre shot her a fond look. “Stay out of trouble.”  _

_ “No promises.” She smiled teasingly before she closed her eyes and disappeared.  _

_ **** _

Obi-wan woke up in her crib. Was it all a dream? Going to Little Keldable and meeting a Mandalorian who then held her until Qui-gon and Xanatos showed up? 

Obi-wan sat up. A creche Master was posted by the door to the sleeping rooms. Obi-wan gulped. Sneaking out again would be even harder than it was previously. 

Once the master saw that Obi-wan was awake, she was scooped up and placed in with the other kids. 

Obi-wan played nervously, expecting at any moment to have the creche masters come and scold her. Instead, nothing happened. The rest of the day passed like normal. Except, Obi-wan couldn’t sleep that night because she had slept so late in the day. 

She laid awake in her crib just staring at the ceiling. Did she dare to meditate? It would look like she was sleeping it just wouldn’t feel like it. 

Obi-wan turned her head and looked at the padawan from before. They radiated determination in the force and guilt. 

Obi-wan dropped her head back and hid a groan. With the attentive padawan, there was no way she could get away with meditation. 

Obi-wan could not wait until she was old enough for classes. Then she could meditate and it wouldn’t look out of place. 

Obi-wan thought back to her time in the Mandalorian council chambers. She wasn’t Mandalorian so why did she show up there? Tarre acted like a disappointed parent when he caught her yelling at Jango. 

She slowly started putting the pieces together. The head kiss and the mumbled words when they sent her back. The nickname Ob’ika. The way he took it upon himself to make her mentally healthy. The way her chair was placed right next to his. His pride in her being able to manipulate things in the afterlife easily. The way he discussed her punishment with Jango’s father. Did he… he must have. 

Obi-wan scowled. He adopted her and didn’t even tell her! She was no Mandalorian and that stubborn old Jedi had adopted her and made her one! 

She really wished she could meditate now. Just to make him know her annoyance at how he hid it. 

She wasn’t angry about the adoption. It was kind of nice to have a family that loved her. The Jedi were great but the no attachments rule kind of made them standoffish. She loved her Jedi family at the temple but she loved her family in the afterlife even more. 

Tarre, Master Kiwiiks, and Yona had all kind of adopted her into their lives. A thought occurred to her that made her hide some giggles. Did that mean she was related to Yoda? Since Yona was his Aunt, does that mean they were cousins or something? 

Obi-wan turned over to hide her snickers in her pillow. The Padawan seemed to have slipped into sleep, sitting up in her chair by the door. 

Obi-wan quieted down. Back to Jango. Working with him is going to be a nightmare she knew that. They had nothing in common and he hated her. 

She’s said it before and she’ll say it again. Taree Vizsla was insane. There was no way she and Jango could ever work together amicably. They were like fire and oil. They would never get along. 

Obi-wan scolded herself. If she started thinking like that then it definitely will happen. She had to think positive. She got along great with Cody. Maybe if she treated him like… No. that wouldn’t work either. Jango was not Cody. Cody was so much better than him. 

She forced her mind to other things. She met Xanatos today. How was she going to stop him from turning to the Darkside? How did he even start on that path to begin with? Maybe another look into the mystical pool that the Jedi Council has? 

She didn’t know how often she could use that. The last time, she looked into it for three minutes and Master Kiwiiks said she almost passed out. There had to be a limit on how much you could look into it before it damaged you. 

Obi-wan rolled to her side. She made a plan. Maybe she could be his friend too, but that wouldn’t always work. She couldn’t go around and make every bad guy her friend. Sometimes she needed something different. Hopefully, Jango had an idea. 

***

Obi-wan woke up the next morning, still expecting a scolding. When lunchtime came around and none came she grew worried. 

She marched up to a creche knight. “Lan! Bru!” She demanded. “I want Lan and Bru!” 

The knight picked her up. “I’m sorry young one but Initiate Vos and Initiate Chun can’t see you for a while. They have classes to do.” 

Obi-wan pouted her lower lip. Sometimes it was so easy to slip into being a two-year-old that it scared her. “I want Lan and Bru!” 

“Obi-wan, that is not how a Jedi is supposed to act.” The knight scolded. 

Obi-wan sucked in her lip. “Trouble?” 

“Yes. They got in trouble. You could have been hurt or lost when they decided to take you from the temple.” The knight soothed her with a hand on her back. 

Obi-wan scowled. “They didn’t take me. I left.” She announced. 

The knight froze. “What?” He pulled back. 

“I left. Lan and Bru were talking. I went too!” Obi-wan gave a small smile as the knight frowned. He set her on the floor and went to find a master. 

Obi-wan sighed. Was that why she hadn’t seen Quinlan and Bruck? The temple masters thought they had taken her out for a ride? No doubt they both didn’t protest that because they wanted to keep her out of trouble. Stupid boys. If they were in trouble, then she was being in trouble right along with them. 

“Obi-wan?” Master Tern knelt down before her. “What were you telling Knight Varren?” 

“I left. Lan and Bru were talking. They were gonna go without me. I left.” Obi-wan lifted a block with the Force and began building a tower. 

Master Tern felt really worried. “Obi-wan? How did you leave?” 

Obi-wan shrugged. “I left. I left at naptime.” Obi-wan stacked another block. 

Obi-wan feigned disinterest in the conversation but actually paid close attention to the whispers going on behind her. 

She heard words like prodigy and testing and skill level. 

She shrugged it off. That was nothing new. They were probably going to test her skill level with the Force. She would have to downplay it. And maybe act dumb when they asked certain questions. 

Obi-wan played with the blocks and puzzles like every day until the afternoon. 

A new toy was brought into the creche. Master Yoda himself brought it. 

“Obi-wan.” Master Yoda greeted her. 

It was kind of startling to find herself shorter than Master Yoda. She had to look up a little to meet his eyes. 

“Puzzles you like, hmm?” Master Yoda held out a metal ball in his hand. It had notches and groves all over it. “Solve this, and a treasure shall be found inside.” 

Obi-wan grabbed the ball. It was a Toydarian puzzle ball. Very difficult for some and there was always some kind of special valuable trinket inside. Like a ring or necklace. She had solved one in her past life. The 212th had picked it up for her for the long rides in hyperspace. She had given the ring inside to a trooper who had a girl. She didn’t know what happened to it after that. 

Obi-wan frowned as she studied the ball. “Thank you, Master Yoda.” She bowed at the waist and clasped her tiny hands to her chest. 

“Welcome you are, Young One. Show me what’s inside, you will?” Master Yoda motioned for her to follow him. 

Obi-wan held the ball that seemed almost too big in her small hands. She followed the old master down the hallways. 

“Where are we going?” Obi-wan held the ball tightly. She didn’t want to lose it. 

Yoda just hummed and led her through the temple. He led her into the archives. They seemed massive to her small stature. 

She would never get used to that. Being so small that things that would normally be the right size to an adult were huge. 

“Come. Sit with me you will?” Master Yoda seated himself on a chair. 

Obi-wan heaved herself up into a chair next to Master Yoda. She used the Force a tiny bit to give her a boost. 

“Tell me, you escaped the creche?” Master Yoda’s ears twitched when he saw her up in the chair. 

“Yes, Master.” Obi-wan looked down. “Bru and Lan were leaving. I had to go too.” 

“Feel you have to keep them safe, you do.” Master Yoda went silent for a moment. 

Obi-wan played with the ball in her hands. She felt a certain Force presence and hid a flinch. 

“Master Yoda.” Xanatos greeted. 

Obi-wan grit her teeth. If she can befriend Bruck Chun the bully who made her life miserable then she could befriend Xanatos the one who made her life feel worthless. 

“Wan Xan.” She bowed like a proper Jedi. She purposely mispronounced saying Padawan Xanatos. 

Xanatos looked startled to be addressed by her. “Is this the youngling that those two initiates took out of the temple?” 

“Take out of the temple, they did not. Snuck out, Obi-wan did.” Yoda sent a stern look at her. 

Xanatos looked impressed. “Not bad for a Youngling.” 

“Need something, you did Padawan Xanatos?” Yoda directed his attention away from Obi-wan. 

“Yes. My master wishes for you to join us in dining tonight.” Xanatos gave a thoughtful look at Obi-wan. 

She didn’t like it. It was too considering. 

“Accept I will. What time do you wish me there? Cooking Qui-gon is not?” Yoda inquired. 

“No Master Jinn is not cooking. Master Dooku is. Master said 6 pm.” Xanatos turned his attention to Yoda. 

She was relieved. She did not like that Xanatos was paying her so much attention. 

“Tonight I will see you.” Yoda dismissed Xanatos. 

“Of course Master Yoda.” Xanatos bows and heads out of the little spot in the archives. 

“Come Obi-wan. Test you I will.” Yoda climbed down from his chair. 

Obi-wan jumped down too. She followed Yoda as he led her to the healing halls. She faltered. Oh. That kind of test. 

She allowed them to prick her finger and check her midichloirans. She figured they would be the same as last time. They weren’t. 

The healers began whispering furiously with Master Yoda. Obi-wan sat on the edge of the bed and kicked her heels. She tried listening in. 

She blinked when she heard exactly how many midichlorians she had. 19,700. That was higher than Yoda. 

They were talking about how many more that was compared to when she was born. It was almost 6,000 more than her first life. Then she had never gone over 14,000. She stayed a steady 14,000 her whole life. 

But, she concluded. It did make sense. She was submerged in the Force before they brought her back. She could have picked up more midichlorians and had a higher Force sensitivity because of it. 

All that didn’t matter because currently, the healers and Master Yoda were looking at her like she was a miracle in the Force. It made her really uncomfortable. 

She decided to ignore it. She had bigger problems to face. 


	5. Chapter Four - Yoda's Line Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. So this is now a three-parter. Enjoy more of baby Obi-wan.

Obi-wan decided to meditate that night. She couldn’t put off meeting back up with Jango forever. She needed to stop stalling. Plus… she had questions about adoption from a certain Mandalorian Jedi. Just what does it mean? What does he mean by it? Was he like a father? Brother? Uncle? 

She sighed. She waited until everyone else was asleep before slipping into the Force. 

****

_ She opened her eyes to see an interesting sight. Jango was punching a bag the same way that Tarre did. Tarre was never this… eye-catching before.  _

_ With every hit, he made a little grunt. She watched his muscles flex as he brought his fist up into a jab.  _

_ Suddenly he turned around. “Are you going to stare or are you going to come up with some plan so we can go back to not seeing each other?”  _

_ For some reason her throat was dry. How could it be dry when she was a ghost was a vague question in her head.  _

_ Jango wiped his face with the back of his hand. “Well?” he snapped.  _

_ His anger brought back hers. She forced her gaze away from his body and back to his eyes. “I don’t need to work with you.”  _

_ “Yeah, well, you’re going to have to Jetii.” Jango moved over to the doorway. “Are you coming?”  _

_ She followed behind him. She was kind of irritated that he was ahead of her and no matter how much she sped up her walking, he was always in front.  _

_ He stepped into the same homey room as last time. Jango went over to the kitchen table. He sat down. “Have a seat, Jetii.”  _

_ “My name is Obi-wan Kenobi. Not Jetii.” She got out between clenched teeth. “And if you can’t figure that out then you are-”  _

_ The door opened, cutting her off. Tarre and Mand’alor Mereel entered the room.  _

_ “Oh yes. We will also have someone with us because they don’t trust us.” Jango informed her.  _

_ She rolled her eyes. “Geez. I wonder why.”  _

_ “Ob’ika.” Tarre began.  _

_ “When were you going to tell me you adopted me?” She demanded.  _

_ Tarre just blinked at her.  _

_ Mand’alor Mereel laughed. “I told you she would figure it out. She’s a smart kid.”  _

_ “Not a kid.” She pointed out. She waved her hands at her body. “Do I look like a kid?”  _

_ She felt eyes on her but she kept her face forward. “When?” She looked at Tarre.  _

_ “Obi-wan…” Tarre tried again to speak.  _

_ “I mean, I’m not mad at you for it. I’m mad because you hid it from me. I would have liked to know that I had been adopted by Tarre Vizsla.” She was stalling. She knew that. She did not want to talk to Jango about planning anything.  _

_ “Obi-wan.” Tarre gave her a stern look. “Don’t think I don’t know what you are doing. Stop stalling and talk. Jaster and I will be over here in case something happens.” Tarre motioned for Mand’alor Mereel to follow him.  _

_ They sat down on the mats in the corner.  _

_ Obi-wan reluctantly turned to Jango. “Any bright ideas?”  _

_ Jango snorted. “It’s your problem.”  _

_ “Jango,” Jaster warned.  _

_ “Yes, Buir.” Jango huffed. “So… why can’t you do the same as before? Make him your friend.”  _

_ “Uh… for one he’s a teenager and I’m a two-year-old not in this plane. For two, he… looks at me like I could be his apprentice or something. I hopefully saved Bruck from being his apprentice and going down that path.” A thought hit her that made her really sick. If the Jedi thought she was the chosen one, wouldn’t Palpatine think that too? Would he twist her the same way he twisted Anakin.  _

_ “Hey!” A voice barked. “Calm down! Breathe!”  _

_ She followed the voice’s instruction. It was angry orders but she could follow them.  _

_ Tarre and Jaster were looking at her with concern. The only one who either wasn’t or was hiding it really well was Jango.  _

_ “Are you alright now?” Jango nodded when she murmured a yes. “Good. What has been happening back in your time? I need details if this is going to work.”  _

_ She explained about meeting Xanatos and how he reacted to her. She told about how he looked at her when he invited Master Yoda for dinner with his lineage.  _

_ Jango rolled his eyes when he was done. “Useless Jetii.” He muttered.  _

_ She scowled.  _

_ “He doesn’t like kids,” Jango spoke bluntly. “He’s not planning some nefarious thing.”  _

_ “Wow. Big word for a-”  _

_ “Obi-wan.” Tarre cut in.  _

_ Obi-wan ducked her head at the full-on parental warning of ‘play nice’ that was in his tone.  _

_ Jango went on like she hadn’t even spoken. “I’ve seen it before. People who don’t like kids but find one that either they like or are impressed by and don’t know how to sort out their feelings. Xanatos likes you and he doesn’t know how to handle it.”  _

_ Obi-wan blinked. Was that really it? Was her fear of Bandomeer really affecting her this much that she was blinded to the good in Xanatos?  _

_ “I-” She paused for a moment. “I need to leave.” She announced.  _

_ “What’s your plan?” Jango eyed her with something besides anger for once. Interest and curiosity filled his amber eyes. “I know you have one.”  _

_ “I have a lineage to fix.” Obi-wan stood up from the table.  _

_ “What’s a lineage?” Jango frowned. “I thought you Jetii don’t have families.”  _

_ “We don’t but all Jedi are family. A lineage is a teacher/student line. Yoda’s padawan was Dooku who then train Master Jinn who was my master. I trained Anakin and Anakin trained Ahsoka. I don’t know if Ahsoka trained anyone. Yoda would be my great-grandmaster while Dooku would be my…”  _

_ With every mention of Dooku, Jango’s feelings spiked in the Force.  _

_ “What is it? What’s wrong?” Obi-wan could barely sense what he was feeling. Hurt maybe? Or more anger?  _

_ “Don’t you have to leave?” Jango wouldn’t meet her eyes. A blue and silver helmet with an attachment at the top appeared on the table. Jango picked it up and put it on. “Are we done here?”  _

_ Jango looked ready for a fight. His movements were stilted and short.  _

_ “For now.” Tarre looked over from his spot with Jaster. “I hear Mand’alor Terran is always up for a spar.”  _

_ Jango gave a tight nod of his helmet and left the room.  _

_ “Was it something I said?” Obi-wan frowned. “What’s his issue with Dooku? I know Dooku became a Sith and did a lot of bad things and that Dooku was the one he teamed up with to make Cody and the others but…”  _

_ “Dooku was the one to lead the attack on Galidraan,” Jaster spoke up. His voice was deep and slightly raspy. “I don’t know how he managed to convince Jango to work for him again. It left some… scars.”  _

_ Obi-wan thought for a moment. “I… I think a bit of mind control was used on him to agree to the clones. I’m not exactly sure but Dooku was skilled in what some people call Jedi Mind Tricks. He taught Qui-gon who used it almost all the time when things didn’t go exactly how he wanted.”  _

_ Jaster opened his mouth but Tarre elbowed him in the side. The resounding clang of metal armor hitting metal armor was loud in the silence.  _

_ She stared at them amused.  _

_ “Ob’ika, do you have time tonight to have another talk? I think you might need it.” Tarre stood up. “We will go back to our council rooms.”  _

_ “I don’t know if you want to do that.” Jaster leaned back on his hands and looked up at Tarre. “Bela and Yona have been threatening you with bodily harm if you hid her away again. You might be interrupted. You can use my rooms here if you like? I’ll keep the others away for a few hours at least.” Jaster stood up and stretched.  _

_ “Thank you, oh so much Mand’alor Mereel,” Tarre spoke sarcastically. It was the deadpan kind where you can’t really tell if they are being a smart ass or not.  _

_ Obi-wan giggled into her palm.  _

_ “Mir’sheb.” Jaster just stared at him unamused. “Come on Obi-wan. I’ll lead you to them. I might just give you a tour since you are ad be Mand’alor Utreekov.”  _

_ Obi-wan accepted the hand that Jaster held out to her. They began leaving the room. Tarre sputtering in their wake.  _

_ “Tell me about your time with this Xanatos and how you ended up with him?” Jaster tucked her hand in his elbow and led her through the Halls of the Ka’ra.  _

_ Obi-wan found Jaster to be extremely understanding and easy to talk to. He didn’t coddle her as Tarre did sometimes. Obi-wan told him everything. About her difficulties to get a Master, being sent to the Agricorps, and her time on Bandomeer with Xanatos.  _

_ Jaster was quiet for a minute as he thought. “It seems to me that Master Jinn was not the right teacher for you. He had many flaws that came from his experiences in life. Based on what you have told me, Bruck Chun was the cause of a lot of your anger as a child. Now that you are friends and you hopefully will have a better childhood this time around, you might just get a teacher that is right for you.”  _

_ Obi-wan didn’t know how she felt about that. Being apart of Yoda’s lineage was all she had known. Qui-gon had been… okay not a great master but…  _

_ Jaster seemed to sense what she was feeling.  _

_ “Ob’ika, he didn’t listen to you about your vision and feelings, he brushed them off and told you to ignore them. He put down your ideas and when Anakin came along he denounced you in front of the council.” Jaster held up his hand when she was about to protest. “I know, he was the only teacher you knew. And maybe he was a great Jetii but he wasn’t in the right mind space, then, to take on a student. He might be better now if your plan works.” Jaster patted her hand on his elbow. “Here are our training rooms. We have friendly spars and spars when people don’t exactly see eye to eye.”  _

_ Jaster went on to explain the different views of the Mand’alore and how they often clashed on their stances and beliefs. “It leads to very interesting times. We all have one rule that we all abide by. The main hall is a fighting-free area. You and Jango pushed that the other day. If you had punched or hit him, the consequences would have been severe.”  _

_ “More severe than working together?” Obi-wan asked only half sarcastic.  _

_ “Yes. I know Jan’ika would never hit you on purpose, not unless you hit first. Once you hit a Mandalorian, they are free to hit back. Just so you know.” Jaster led her past the doorway to the training rooms.  _

_ Obi-wan gasped as he led her into the next room. It was even bigger than the main hall. Tapestries and paintings hung from every bit of wall space.  _

_ Scenes of war and some symbols placed together adorned the fabric draping from the wall.  _

_ “These tell of each Mand’alor’s greatest deed.” He came to a stop in front of one with a Jedi symbol entwined with a mythosaur skull. “This is your Buir’s.” Jaster led her further down the hall until he came across a crimson fabric and a blue fabric. “Our history with the Jetii is not great. Until you, many saw them as baby snatchers and all the other things the galaxy thinks.”  _

_ Obi-wan grimaced. “No pressure.” She mumbled.  _

_ Jaster traced the image of the symbol of the True Mandalorians. “I united many people and I think you can finish what I started. Remember Ob’ika. We may be hard-headed but we are united by what we believe. Our passion comes from the ka’ra and everything we are. What defines a Mandalorian is not blood. It’s passion, tenacity, loyalty, and a thirst for life. If you have those virtues you can be a Mandalorian.”  _

_ Obi-wan felt everything go blurry.  _

“I don’t know what’s wrong. She’s in the Force too deep.” 

“Obi? Obi come back to us.” 

_ Quinlan! That was Quinlan.  _

_ “Jaster?” She called uncertainly. What was happening?  _

_ “You’ve stayed here too long. I’ll see you later, Ob’ika.” Jaster touched her forehead.  _

_ **** _

Obi-wan surfaced with a gasp. She was immediately pulled into a hug. 

“You came back.” Quinlan was near tears. 

It was startling to be in a two-year-old body now that she had spent hours in an adult form. 

She tried to say Quinlan but it came out, “Lan?” 

Quinlan burst into tears. “Obi. I thought we lost you.” 

She looked over Quinlan’s shoulder to see Bruck rolling his eyes at Quinlan. He spotted Obi-wan looking at him and gave her a slow head tilt. That was his way of showing concern. She knew that. She gave a smile and a nod back. 

“Initiate Vos. I need to see Obi-wan. I need to check her over.” Master Tern gently laid a hand on Quinlan’s shoulder. 

“No!” Quinlan pulled Obi-wan closer and turned away from the creche master. 

“Lan.” Obi-wan patted Quinlan’s shoulder. “I fine.” 

“How about you hold her and I can check her over?” Master Tern offered. 

Quinlan thought for a moment before nodding. He brought her to a chair and sat down with her in his lap. 

Obi-wan tightened her shields instinctively as the creche master wrapped her in his own presence as he scanned for any lingering issues from being so deep in the Force. She felt his surprise as he pulled back from her. 

“Don’t do that again, little one.” He gently scolded her. 

Obi-wan nodded at him. 

Quinlan tightened his grip on her. “She’s okay? She’s not hurt?” 

“She’s alright, Initiate Vos.” Master Tern sounded shocked, worried, and comforting. She guessed only a creche master would feel that combination and have it actually work. “I need to talk with Master Yoda. You can stay here for the rest of the morning, but this afternoon, you need to go back to your classes. Both of you.” 

Bruck looked surprised to be included. “But Master…” 

“Obi-wan needs the both of you. Quinlan may have a connection to her but you Initiate Chun are her friend by choice. That is just as important.” The creche master stood up. “Knight Varren, keep an eye on the younglings. I will be back soon.” 

Obi-wan squirmed in Quinlan’s arms. “Down. Play.” 

“Breakfast first.” Knight Varren led the way to the table in the other room. Quinlan carried her the whole way. 

Instead of being placed in a chair, Obi-wan was disgruntled by the fact that Quinlan refused to let her go. She sat on his lap as she ate her morning meal of cooked oats and spiced Alderaanian apples. 

After breakfast, Obi-wan was still being held by Quinlan in a chair. She half-heartedly fought his grip. Quinlan just tightened his hold on her until she could barely breathe. 

“You scared me, Obi. I thought you weren’t coming back.” Quinlan whispered. 

She sagged and stopped fighting him. She could let him hold her for five more minutes. 

Five minutes of being smothered by the kiffar, later and she shot a pleading look at Bruck. 

Bruck sighed. “Let her go, Vos. You’re smothering her.” Bruck came by and lifted her from Quinlan easily. He set her on the floor. “What do you want to do, Obi?” 

Obi-wan thought for a moment. She had mastered the skill of moving things with the force. She didn’t feel like working on the Toydarian puzzle ball at the moment. What else was there to do? 

She looked around at the other kids. Some were playing with dolls in play fights and battles. She wrinkled her nose. She didn’t have the imagination for that anymore. 

Some were coloring at tables. Maybe… she thought. 

“Color?” She pulled on Quinlan’s sleeve to get his attention. Drat being so short. 

“Okay, Obi. We can color.” Quinlan ignored Bruck’s slight groan. “Hey, you can always do your homework while me and Obi make some good pictures.” 

Bruck sent him a glare and sat down at the table. He pulled a white blank piece of flimsy closer and grabbed the markers. 

Obi-wan grabbed a sheet of flimsy too and grabbed a crayon. She wasn’t allowed to use markers yet. She bit her lip as she thought of what she learned with Jaster. 

She didn’t know what Jango’s greatest deed was. Maybe… she began coloring. 

Obi-wan didn’t know it but Bruck and Quinlan kept shooting looks at her work. 

Obi-wan sketched out her idea on what Jango’s greatest deed should be. It wasn’t killing six Jedi with his bare hands like what she was sure his tapestry depicted. Mandalorians and Jedi would never get along despite a few exceptions. That she was an exception she was stubbornly ignoring. 

When it was complete she pulled back to look at the full image. Gripping crayons and sketching with them was hard with her tiny toddler hands but she managed. 

“What’s that Obi?” Quinlan peered at her work. “Is that… chains breaking?” 

Obi-wan folded the paper and stuffed it in her pocket. “Done?” She looked over at Quinlan’s childish drawing of people. 

“Almost. Hey! No peeking!” Quinlan threw himself over his paper blocking her view. 

“Bru? Done?” She tried looking at his paper but the white-haired boy also blocked her view. 

“Not quite. Why don’t you draw another picture, Obi?” Burck pulled another piece of flimsy to her. 

Obi-wan spent the rest of the morning coloring with Bruck and Quinlan. That would be a weird thing to her past self but she had grown used to Bruck’s friendship. 

Quinlan and Bruck presented their pictures to her before they left for their afternoon classes. Obi-wan felt touched and almost cried when she saw what they had made her. 

Quinlan had drawn her with a yellow lightsaber standing with Quinlan and (reluctantly she was sure) Bruck. “When we are all knights we are going for a party.” he had said. 

She had frowned at the lightsaber color. She knew yellow was for a Sentenial who was great in combat and scholarly skills both. 

“I couldn’t decide between green or yellow but… I decided to use yellow.” Quinlan explained when he felt her confusion in the Force. 

Bruck gave her a picture of him and her sitting and doing something at a table. 

He gave her a nod and left, dragging Quinlan behind him with the words, “Come on Vos. We’re going to be late and I am not helping in the archives again. Bye Obi.” 

She felt she understood the meaning in his picture. Bruck was saying thanks in his own way for being his friend. 

Obi-wan unfolded the picture that she made. The rough sketch of Jango Fett breaking his chains from his time as a slave stared back at her. 

****

That afternoon Master Yoda stopped by the creche. “Obi-wan.” He stopped beside where she sat on the floor playing with a new youngling in the creche. 

She was building towers again and letting the one-year-old twi’lek knock them down. Feeling the little one’s glee at the sound the blocks made when they fell made her smile. 

Obi-wan stood up. “Master Yoda.” She bowed at the waist with her hands tucked in front of her. How she missed her robes. 

“Walk with me, will you?” Yoda led the way through the creche to the bigger kids’ dorms. He entered a private mediation room used for kids who needed one on one time to learn how to meditate properly and sat down. 

Obi-wan stood in the doorway nervously. If they were going to meditate she didn’t want to go back there in front of people. 

Master Yona’s words floated to her mind.  _ “When you meditate, there we will be.”  _

It didn’t make her feel any better. She just needed to skim the surface and not fall so deep that she is taken there. 

“Have a seat, Young One. Hurt you I will not.” Yoda gestured to the pillow opposite him. 

Obi-wan sat on the pillow. “Master? What are we doing?” 

“Long have you meditated at night, hmm?” Master Yoda gave her a thoughtful look. His gimmer stick was set beside him. “Help you I will. Deep you went last night, Young One. Control you need.” 

Obi-wan frowned. There went her idea of skimming the surface. It would look too suspicious if she could suddenly meditate the right way. She resigned herself of small visits to her family. Hopefully, she doesn’t drag Yoda with her. That would be awkward. 

“Close your eyes. Feel the Force.” Master Yoda closed his own huge eyes and she could feel him dip gently into the Force. He brought himself back a few seconds later. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes and slipped into the Force. With Master Yoda’s help, she only dipped occasionally. 

She caught glimpses of the Jedi council cave and the ka’ra. 

Master Kiwiiks yelling at Tarre about hogging her by bringing her to the Ka’ra Halls. Yona smacking with her cane on Tarre in his spots where his armor didn’t protect and scolding him for keeping her to himself. Jaster working on cleaning his weapons and singing softly. And… Jango. Practicing hand-to-hand on a dummy. He was shirtless and as soon as she appeared he lifted his head and locked eyes with her. She disappeared a second later. 

Yoda eased her back to the surface world. “Good. Practice, we will.” 

Obi-wan felt tired. She stumbled to her feet. She tried to hide a yawn. 

“Rest, Young One. Back to the creche, I will bring you.” Yoda helped her walk back to the nursery. 

Obi-wan realized this was a perfect way to implement her plan. If she could get at Dooku, Qui-gon, and Xanatos through Yoda… that would be excellent. 

Obi-wan was barely awake when they entered the communal bedroom for the young ones. Yoda was practically carrying her. Obi-wan was scooped up and laid in her crib by a creche knight she didn’t know. 

“How did it go?” Some hair was brushed off her forehead by someone leaning over her. Probably the knight. 

“Difficult this will be but not impossible. Much potential I see in her.” Yoda’s gimmer stick made tapping noises as they walked away. 

“Is it true? What they are saying? I don’t feel any more bond mates. It has been a while since I have been called in here though.” 

It was him! The one who helped her with Quinlan. 

Their words faded away as she fell asleep. She barely caught the next few words. 

“She has gotten so big. I remember the little tyke she was.” 

“Grown much, Obi-wan has. Truth there is in many legends.” 

She fell asleep and didn’t wake until late afternoon. 

****

Obi-wan knew she was being monitored closely. She had to wait for them to relax on their protection when she was sleeping. It took a week. 

Every other day she would practice meditating with Yoda. She caught glimpses of her family and friends and one enemy as they went around their time in the afterlife. Jango caught her when she saw him every time. 

Every time she was near, he would raise his head and lock eyes with her. His amber eyes were dark with intense emotions. 

Jaster caught on next and would give her a cheery wave. He tried talking to her once but she shook her head and disappeared. 

At the end of the week with her not slipping into meditation without Yoda’s help they finally relaxed and let her sleep on her own. The knight that slept in the kids’ room was moved back to his own quarters. 

Obi-wan slipped into the force and tried to organize her thoughts on how she would explain. 

****

_ She opened her eyes in Tarre’s salles. She was immediately pulled into a hug. All she saw was red and white. She could feel Master Kiwiiks almost jealous and anger emotions at Tarre.  _

_ “Obi-wan. I knew you would arrive sometime soon and I knew Tarre was going to hog you again so I waited here.” Master Kiwiiks pulled back and allowed Yona to tap in her leg much gently than the smacks she was giving Tarre.  _

_ Obi-wan knelt down and hugged the old Jedi. “I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in a while.”  _

_ “Blame you we do not. Need for apology there is not from you.” Yona patted her cheek in a fond way. “Good you are?”  _

_ “I am doing well Master Yona.” Obi-wan smiled. “Thank you for asking.”  _

_ Tarre stepped into the room this time covered head to toe in armor. He even wore his helmet. “Is it safe to come in?”  _

_ “What is it now, Tarre? You have hogged her enough.” Master Kiwiiks sounded exasperated.  _

_ “Mand’alor Mereel has questions. I came to escort him here because he’s not allowed on his own.” Tarre held up his hands.  _

_ Obi-wan had to stifle a laugh as she saw a shield in his hands.  _

_ Jaster stepped into the room. “Ob’ika has been popping in and out of here for the last week and I want to know why.” Jaster too raised his hands. “I have noticed her for a few seconds and then she goes away again. I don’t know if she had been doing it to the rest of you or…”  _

_ “Yes,” Obi-wan spoke up. “I was here for too long and the creche masters noticed that I was deep in the Force. I am currently training with Master Yoda on how to meditate properly. I have been slipping in and out purposely because if I suddenly have perfect control it would be too suspicious.” She explained. “They watched me for a week and I really have to go now.” Obi-wan turned to face Yona and Master Kiwiiks apologetically. “I’m sorry but I only came to explain. I can come back soon and visit with you.”  _

_ “Thank you for explaining Ob’ika.” Jaster gave her a nod. “I look forward to seeing you again.”  _

_ She bit her lip as she looked at Tarre. She took a chance “Buir,” She called. “Play nice or they might hit something even more precious next time.”  _

_ She disappeared to Yona and Master Kiwiiks’ cackling and Tarre’s frozen form.  _


	6. Chapter Five - Yoda's Line Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update!!! If you have not read chapter four please go back and do so!!!
> 
> Enjoy. More Jangobi action. :D
> 
> This one is a little shorter. I hope you like it.

Obi-wan steadily grew less tired the more she practiced meditating. In a way, she was grateful for it. She now could skim the surface of the Force and meditate as she used to without dropping in on her family. 

As promised, when her body realized and got familiar with the skill, her level was now a master. 

Master Yoda seemed impressed. 

They were heading back to the nursery part of the creche when Xanatos caught up to them. He seemed distressed. 

“Master Yoda!” He called. “I need to talk to you.” He panted for breath as he ran up to them. 

“Trouble there is, Padawan Xanatos?” Yoda stopped walking. 

“Yes. My Master and Master Dooku got into an argument and Master Dooku challenged him to a duel. I… I think they are going to hurt each other.” Xanatos looked over at Obi-wan. 

Yoda looked torn. Like he was needed elsewhere but he was responsible for her. 

“Hurry Master Yoda. Their duel was already in progress when I left.” Xanatos begged. “I don’t want my Master to get hurt.” 

Yoda made his decision. “Come with us, Obi-wan will.” Yoda motioned for Xanatos to lean down. The old Jedi climbed up on Xanatos’ shoulder. “Carry the youngling you will. To the salles, we must go.” 

Xanatos scooped her up roughly and carried her down the hall awkwardly. She dangled in his grip. 

“On your hip carry the youngling,” Yoda instructed him. 

Xanatos shifted so Obi-wan was resting on his hip. One hand rested on her back while the other curled around her legs. Xanatos was running as fast as he could toting two people with him. 

They entered the salles to see Master Jinn and Master Dooku glaring as they tried to wound each other with their lightsabers. 

“Enough.” Yoda banged his gimmer stick on the ground. 

She guessed he used a bit of the Force to make it louder to reach the dueling Jedi. 

Master Dooku and Master Jinn stopped. They turned to face Yoda. 

“Fighting you should not. Masters of the Force, you are. Jedi you are not acting like.” Yoda scolded the two grown men. “About what are you fighting?” 

“A minor disagreement.” Master Dooku turned off his lightsaber. 

Master Jinn scoffed. “Minor?” He scowled. “You completely…” 

“Enough this is.” Yoda banged his gimmer stick on the ground again. 

The Masters glared daggers at each other. 

Obi-wan thought this was a great opportunity. “Stop!” She yelled as loud as she could. “Get along!” 

Master Dooku and Master Jinn looked over at her. 

“Young One?” Master Dooku looked at her. 

“No fighting!” She called out again. She scowled at the two masters. She was still on Xanatos’ hip. “Master Tern says no fighting. We should all get along. No matter if we don’t agree. We are still family. We still get along. Still love each other.” 

Yoda looked on with amusement. 

She thought it would look kind of funny to an outsider. A two-year-old scolding two grown men about getting along. Obi-wan wiggled and Xanatos almost dropped her. He set her on the floor. 

She marched up to Qui-gon and Dooku. “What are you fighting about?” She placed her hands on her hips subconsciously and glared at the two masters. 

Qui-gon looked at Yoda helplessly. 

Dooku looked haughty. “I don’t think-” 

“Answer the youngling you will, Master Dooku.” Yoda shot him a reprimanding look. 

“Master Dooku... disagrees with my assessment on a youngling in the creche. He says that legends are foolish and that I would be better focused elsewhere.” Qui-gon placed his hands carefully in his sleeves. “I happen to think the youngling is the one we…” 

Master Dooku scoffed. 

“I have been waiting for.” Qui-gon corrected. 

Obi-wan felt that he was talking about her but wasn’t using names to be polite. She focused on the stupid argument. Was this the moment that broke their bond and stopped them from speaking for all the years she was Qui-gon’s padawan? 

Obi-wan scowled. “This is stupid.” 

“Youngling.” Yoda gave her a warning look. 

“No! Master Dooku is supposed to be Master Qui-gon’s friend right? That means even though he doesn’t like what he does he’s still supposed to care.” Obi-wan crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t agree with Bru all the time and you don’t see us trying to hurt each other. No. Friends are supposed to care. They say sorry after fights and forgive.” 

“Heard the youngling you did. Apologize. Not seeing eye to eye, you may. But as the youngling says, care for friends you are supposed to.” Yoda seemed amused by her. His ears twitched and his eyes gleamed. 

“I-I’m sorry Master Dooku.” Qui-gon sounded like he ate Corellian citrus. 

“I am also sorry Qui-gon.” Dooku turned his gaze to her. “What is your name young one? You are very smart for a youngling your age.” 

She met his gaze. “I am Obi-wan Kenobi. No more fighting?” 

Dooku looks at her with a thoughtful look. “I will try.” 

Obi-wan got an impish look on her face. “Do or do not. There is no try.” She spoke before Master Yoda could. 

Master Yoda’s ears perked up and he chuckled. Obi-wan giggled as Qui-gon and Dooku looked stunned. Even Xanatos laughed. 

“Corrupting the younglings again, Master Yoda.” Dooku sighed deeply. 

“A wise and sneaky youngling Obi-wan is.” Yoda perked up like he just realized something. “Come young one. Back to the creche, you must go.” 

Obi-wan pouted. “But it’s boring there.” She protested. 

Yoda looked at her. “Boring, you say? How? Play all day you do.” 

Obi-wan huffed. “Yes but it’s the same things all the time. I want to do something else.” She was approaching vocabulary too great for a two-year-old. 

Yoda began walking back towards the creche. He motioned for Xanatos to carry her. “Padawan Xanatos, accompany me you will. Carry the youngling you will?” 

“Yes, Master.” Xanatos bowed to Yoda. 

“I can teach her some beginning katas.” Dooku sounded like it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. “She can watch Padawan Vosa and I run through her morning katas.”

Yoda’s ears twitched back at Dooku. “Discuss this with the creche masters I will. Hurry Obi-wan or late for dinner you will be.” 

Obi-wan was picked up by the teenaged padawan and carried down the hall. “Well young one. You’ve managed to capture Master Dooku’s attention. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” 

Obi-wan was too scared to reply to him. He brought back too many memories. She was quiet all the way back to the creche. 

****

Obi-wan meditated that night. She needed… something. 

*****

_ Obi-wan found herself in the Halls of Ka’ra. She winced. Master Kiwiiks and Yona were not going to like this.  _

_ She stepped through the door and found herself in a training salle. A figure was training with a blaster in one corner of the room. Shot after shot hit its mark. Finally, the charge pack was empty.  _

_ The figure set the blaster down on the table.  _

_ “Are you just going to stare?” Jango asked without looking at her. He inspected his blaster before him.  _

_ Obi-wan lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Why does it have to be you?”  _

_ “Why did you have to draw that picture? What is it even for?” Jango countered smoothly.  _

_ Obi-wan froze. “You guys saw that?”  _

_ Jango smirked down at the table. She could see the edges of it on his face. “At some point every day they gather to watch your day. From you eating your food to you sleeping, they all gush over it.” Jango sounded disgusted.  _

_ Obi-wan grimaced. “They do? That’s a little… creepy. I’ll have a talk with Tarre. That must stop.”  _

_ Jango slammed another charge pack into his blaster. He paused before firing. “Did you need something?”  _

_ Obi-wan didn’t want to do this but since they were being semi-open about things… she decided to take a chance. “I can’t do it. I can’t befriend Xanatos and stop him from falling. Every time I see him I… I freeze and…”  _

_ “You’re right back there. Wearing the collar and trying to stay alive despite the torture they are putting you through.” Jango looked down at his blaster. He set it on the table. “Come here.”  _

_ Obi-wan frowned. “What?”  _

_ Jango rolled his eyes. “I said come here, Utreekov Jetii.”  _

_ She scowled and marched over to him. “What exactly am I doing?”  _

_ Jango turned to a cabinet and studied the various blasters and rifles there. She didn’t know much about the guns. They were as common as you could get.  _

_ Jango must have spotted her wrinkled nose because he sighed in frustration. “What? Blasters aren’t good enough for you, Aloryc?” He snapped. “I’m trying to help. Stop making that face.”  _

_ Jango placed a blaster that fits in her hands perfectly. She didn’t like that it felt nice though. “This is a sporting blaster. It’s mainly used for royals on other planets. It doesn’t work well in a heavy firefight but in a pinch, it will help you stop a bad guy or something.” Jango positioned her so she was facing the targets. “Do you know how to fire a blaster?”  _

_ Obi-wan rolled her eyes. “I’m not an idiot. I know how to use one. I just don’t like to. They are… uncivilized. A lightsaber is better and more refined.”  _

_ “Focus on the target. Imagine with every shot you are letting go of everything that Xanatos did to you. I know it will hurt but you can’t complete your mission until you do.” Jango stepped behind her.  _

_ Obi-wan focused on her feelings and with every shot, she released them into the Force. The feeling of the collar around her neck. The betrayal that a fellow Jedi could have done this to her. The heat from his lightsaber as he threatened to cut off her limbs. The pain of going days without enough food or water. The feeling of the whip lashing against her back.  _

_ Again and again, she fired. The shots hit their mark. She finally stopped an hour later. She slumped against the table.  _

_ Jango was watching her with his eyes dark and thoughtful.  _

_ “I have to go,” Obi-wan spoke into the silence. “If I don’t I’m going to be caught again.”  _

_ “Remember, this Xanatos hasn’t done anything to you but if you keep up with all the past things he did in another life, you might set him on a darker path than before. You have to learn to let go.” Jango went over to her and picked up the blaster. “Go. I’ll clean this for you.”  _

_ Obi-wan stepped away. “Jango? Thanks.” Obi-wan left before he could say another word.  _

****

Obi-wan opened her eyes to a new day feeling lighter than she had in years. Decades even. Say what you will about Mandalorians but they were experts in trauma and mind healing. Must be from all the younglings they adopt from war zones and places like it. She sighed. She was just the latest in a long line. 

Obi-wan was dressed for the day in her white and tan robes. Her hair was done up in nerf tail. 

She entered the main room to see Master Yoda quietly talking with Master Tern and another knight. 

She squinted. He was the bond mate knight. She walked up to him. “Hi.” She greeted. “Morning.” 

“Good morning, Obi-wan.” He smiled. He touched her head gently before moving his hand away. “How was your sleep?” 

“Good. I feel better.” Obi-wan hesitantly leaned against his leg as he went back to talking with Master Yoda and Master Tern. 

The Knight dropped his hand on her head and stroked her hair. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes and listened to them. Master Yoda had brought up the subject about her learning how to control the Force. Master Tern was against her learning anything like it until she was of age. 

Master Tern and Master Yoda were both arguing their points when the Knight spoke up. “I agree with Master Yoda.” 

Master Tern threw up his hands. “She is only two. She needs to play more with kids her age.” 

“Point. But let me ask you this, does she enjoy it? Does she have the same joy as the others when she plays? I haven’t known Obi-wan for long. I only saw her when she was three months old and now. When she was three months old she had a bond with another.” 

“Yes. Initiate Vos is close with her. As is Initiate Chun but…” Master Tern protested. 

“When Obi-wan was three months old she held a conversation with me like an experienced youngling more like six than a three-month-old. Obi-wan is not a normal two-year-old. Maybe… maybe she is more like me than you think.” 

Obi-wan’s stomach growled. The Knight picked her up. How she wished she knew his name. 

“Think on that while I feed Obi-wan. The other younglings are still sleeping so you have time.” The knight walked off with her in his arms. 

“Right Knight Saan is. Normal Obi-wan is not.” Yoda looked at Master Tern. “Think you should on my offer.” Yoda turned and left the room. 

Master Tern threw up his hands and walked into a side room. She hoped he would see their point. If she had to spend three more years in this nursery having nothing to do all day she was going to convince the others to have a rebellion. 

Obi-wan snorted at the image of a bunch of one to four-year-olds staging a coup and running out of these rooms like the nursery was on fire. 

“What’s so funny Obi-wan?” Knight Saan nudged her in the force. 

“Nothing. What’s for breakfast?” Obi-wan looked at the counter hopefully. 

“They haven’t brought it yet. Someone was an early bird and woke up too soon.” Knight Saan poked her stomach. 

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow at him. Really? He had to do that? 

Knight Saan laughed. “Okay. No poking. Got it. How’s your bond mate? Have you been seeing him often?” 

Obi-wan nodded. “Yes. We got in trouble though.” 

Knight Saan looked at her with a fond look. “I know. I think the whole temple knows about the time a youngling from the nursery snuck out of the temple and set everyone on red alert.” 

Obi-wan sighed. That was going to be a story told often as she was growing up, wasn’t it? 

“Where did you go?” Knight Saan asked with curiosity. “No one knows that part.” 

“Little Keld.” She figured if she spoke the whole word of Keldabe that would raise some questions. 

As it is Knight Saan’s eyebrow rose. “You did?” 

“Uh huh. I met a Mando and he wouldn’t let me go. He wasn’t playing nice either so I hit his helmet and told him to.” Obi-wan waved her hands around. 

Knight Saan looked thoughtful. “Be careful around Mandalorians Obi-wan. They are not the nicest people to us Jedi.” 

No, they are just insufferable idiots who creepily watch her every day. She thought to herself. Did the Jedi council watch her too? She shuddered. 

Obi-wan nodded as if she understood. She was Mando Nip. They weren’t going to hurt her as long as she was a kid. And in the afterlife…? She was pretty much one. Huh? That made her the second Mandalorian Jedi then. With Tarre being number one. 

“Look. Here comes breakfast.” Knight Saan stood up and helped the padawan bringing them breakfast to set it on the counter. 

Knight Saan got together a bowl and set it before Obi-wan. “Any louder and your stomach will start summoning the Gundarks on the lower levels.” He teased. 

Obi-wan felt her face flush in embarrassment. That was really rude of her for her stomach to be so loud it was audible to a person sitting next to her. 

Knight Saan laughed. “Don’t worry about it. One time I was at a meeting and my stomach growled so loud that they thought an animal had gotten into the vents. They spent hours looking for it and they called off the meeting to search. I was so embarrassed but lucky enough to snag a quick bite while they ran around like a Nuna bird with its head chopped off.” 

Obi-wan couldn’t help but laugh. That story was too ridiculous to be anything other than the truth. 

Knight Saan ate his own breakfast of fried tubers and eggs. They both finished at the same time. 

“What do you want to do, young one?” Knight Saan cleared their dishes. 

Obi-wan sighed as she thought about another dull day doing nothing but building towers and maybe coloring. 

“Obi-wan.” Master Tern called her name. “You will be going with Master Yoda for this morning. I expect her to be back by naptime. She may be a child prodigy but she is still two-years-old and her body needs rest to grow.” 

“Yes, Master Tern. I’ll take her to Yoda myself.” Knight Saan bowed before looking at her. “All ready to go have fun doing boring grown-up things?” 

Obi-wan nodded. She got down from the table. She was picked up by Knight Saan. She squirmed. She didn’t like being carried. Kight Saan set her down on the floor. 

“Master Tern? Can you comm Master Yoda and tell him we might be a while?” Knight Saan was nearly bent in half. “Do you want to hold my hand, Obi?” 

Obi-wan decided she could at least do that. She reached up and grabbed the knight’s hand. Her hand was so small compared to his. 

They started slowly walking from the room. Knight Saan was chatting the whole way. 

****

Obi-wan watched carefully as Yoda led her into the salles. A private room was open and they stepped in to see Master Dooku and Padawan Vosa. 

They looked like they just arrived and were warming up. Master Dooku was stretching his arms and Padawan Vosa was copying him. 

Padawan Vosa was unfamiliar to Obi-wan. She was Dooku’s last padawan as a Jedi. She was there at Galidraan, she knew that. Something happened though because, after a while, she disappeared and was never seen by a Jedi again. 

Padawan Vosa was young. About eleven. A new Padawan then. Her hair was cut short and her padawan braid was down to her cheekbone in length. 

“Master Dooku.” Yoda greeted the master. “Agreed to your offer the creche has. Obi-wan. Master Dooku and Padawan Vosa this is.” 

Obi-wan smiled at Padawan Vosa. Maybe they could be friends? 

Padawan Vosa just looked at her unimpressed. “Master?” She turned away from Obi-wan. “What’s going on?” 

She might have well said, ‘What’s this doing here?’. That’s what her tone implied. 

“I offered for Obi-wan to join us for morning Katas.” Master Dooku said oblivious to Padawan Vosa’s crestfallen look and sneer at Obi-wan. 

Obi-wan sighed to herself. Oh, dear. This is going to be trouble. She was eleven once too and having a crush on an older man was normal. She herself had a few of those. The problem is growing out of them. She had a feeling Padawan Vosa was not going to be that easy. 

She might have a feeling about why Padawan Vosa had left the order. This might get messy. 

She watched the katas that the two did. Makashi was quick and precise. Fast short movements that were sort of difficult to achieve. 

Obi-wan made sure she clapped at each sequence Padawan Vosa did. No matter if she was slightly off or not. Maybe that would help her be friendly? 

Her plan failed. Halfway through a kata, Padawan Vosa stopped. 

“What’s wrong, Padawan?” Master Dooku stopped his movements. 

“I can’t concentrate with her in the room.” Padawan Vosa flung her hand out at Obi-wan. “She keeps making noise and it’s throwing me off.” 

“Obi-wan? Would you please stop making noise? Katas are something used to quiet the mind. You can clap when we are done.” Dooku spoke surprisingly gently to her for a man who was supposed to fall and become a Sith. 

“Yes, Master.” Obi-wan sat on her hands. She squirmed as restlessness hit her. 

Master Dooku sighed. “Keep at it Padawan Vosa. Obi-wan, come here.” 

Obi-wan slid down off the bench and walked over to Dooku. 

“I want you to practice this move.” Master Dooku demonstrated a Shii-Cho motion slowly. 

Shii-Cho was the most basic of lightsaber forms and was the easiest to learn. 

Obi-wan clumsily copied him. She wished she didn’t have to build the muscles for Soresu all over again. 

“Very good Obi-wan. Keep at it. Do it over and over.” Master Dooku headed back to his jealous padawan. 

Obi-wan ignored her sneers and hate-filled looks as she went over Form I over and over. She would get the muscle mass soon and soon she would have her beloved Form III back. 

****

Obi-wan rotated who she was with for the rest of the morning. She did morning Katas with Master Dooku and Padawan Vosa. Then she went with Master Yoda to the council chambers while he grabbed something from his office area. Then they headed back down to the classrooms. (Yoda let her ride with him in his hoverchair part of the way. She had a lot of fun with that.)

Obi-wan came to a stop outside a classroom door. Yoda entered the room with her behind him. 

Yoda greeted the Master in charge warmly. “This is Obi-wan. Sit in with your class she will.” Yoda motioned to an empty seat by a togruta and a nautolan. 

Obi-wan went over to them as Yoda talked to the instructor. 

“Hi.” Obi-wan climbed up in the slightly too big chair. 

“Hi. I’m Shaak. This is Kit.” The togruta smiled at her. 

Obi-wan felt relieved. Her friends on the council were here alive and happy. 

“I’m Obi-wan.” She smiled at them. 

“How old are you Obi-wan?” Kit poked her arm to get her attention. 

“I’m two.” She swiped Kit’s hand off her. 

“And they let you in here?” Shaak had wide eyes. 

Obi-wan looked at her and missed Master Kiwiiks with a deep ache. That settled it. She was visiting her more. Tarre would have to learn how to share. 

Obi-wan shrugged. She turned back to the instructor as she began her lesson again. It was on math. 

Boring. But Obi-wan paid close attention. If she acted like she already knew all the schooling they could give they would be on her faster than she could blink. No. During school, she  _ had _ to play dumb. Anything else and they would really wonder about her. 

****

That night Obi-wan laid down with a happy smile. She managed to stop Dooku and Qui-gon from making a mistake that will cost them a lot. Now that they were talking and not fighting, maybe she might actually change things. 

Padawan Vosa is going to be a problem. Her crush on Master Dooku could be dangerous. Her anger of Obi-wan could very well make her fall. 

Obi-wan scrunched down in her bed. What if she fails with Xanatos and Padawan Vosa takes Bruck’s place? What if…? 

Obi-wan took a deep breath and thought of Jango’s words. “ _ If you keep up with all the past things he did in another life, you might set him on a darker path than before. You have to learn to let go.”  _

Obi-wan took another breath and let go of all the hurt and pain. She would never forgive that Xanatos, but this Xanatos hasn’t hurt her yet. He has the potential to, and Force it would be devastating, but this one hasn’t done anything. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes and let go. 


	7. Chapter Six - Qui-gon's Padawans Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Hope you guys like it. This chapter is rich in spoilers for the future. This one is for you Cypervixen and OmiV5. I hope you like it. ;D

Obi-wan had learned a lot in the past two months. She was now two and a half. After meeting with Jango that one time, she hadn’t seen him since. He had been mysteriously absent every time she went to the Halls of the Ka’ra. 

Obi-wan pitched a fit worthy of any Mandalorian being wronged about the fact that they watched her while she slept and ate. 

She made all of them swear that they would at least cut out when she ate, slept, or did anything private like going to the fresher. 

Obi-wan had tried to find Xanatos but learned they had gone on a mission. They hadn’t come back yet, or if they had they headed right back out. She knew very well how diplomatic missions were. 

Obi-wan was waiting to go see Master Kiwiiks and Yona. She promised them some time without any men. Excuse her, she meant Mandalorian hoggers. (Master Kiwiiks words. Not hers)

Obi-wan was carried to her bed and set inside. She was still in a crib. It was getting a bit too small but she thinks that the creche masters wanted her in a crib so she couldn’t get out as easily. It seems she frightened quite a few when she up and left during naptime a few months ago with Quinlan and Bruck. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes as she did her sort of nightly thing of waiting for the others to fall asleep. 

Soon, one by one, they slipped off to sleep and Obi-wan was free to visit her family. She had a smile on her face as she slipped into the Force. 

*****

_ Obi-wan opened her eyes to see she was right where she wanted to be. Master Kiwiiks and Yona were waiting for her in Master Kiwiiks rooms.  _

_ “Hello there.” She smiled as she was pulled into a hard hug by a warm togruta.  _

_ “I’m glad you are here with us finally.” Master Kiwiiks gave her a serene smile. “If those Mandalorians saw you one more time without us I would have found my way over there and-”  _

_ Her words got more and more aggressive as she spoke.  _

_ “Here now she is. Dwell not on the Mandalorian thieves.” Yona pulled her down for a hug. She placed her hands on Obi-wan’s cheeks. “Good to see you it is. Something you need from me you do?”  _

_ “Yes. Master Yona. Do you have any blue fabric and can you teach me how to sew?” Obi-wan thought about her picture she drew. She needed to get a better one drawn. Maybe one here where she had her full capabilities and could actually use a pencil.  _

_ Master Yona smiled. “Teach you I can. Sit with me you can?”  _

_ Master Kiwiiks joined them. “This is the afterlife. You can make whatever you wish to appear. Just concentrate on the Force and call for it.”  _

_ Obi-wan closed her eyes and made a piece of flimsy and a sketch pencil form in her lap. She made a little table set up in front of her and she set to draw.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks filled her in on the happenings of the council. Master Yoda had been up to his normal tricks and had freaked out a couple of people exploring a mountain nearby.  _

_ Obi-wan laughed. It seemed that, since Master Yoda had nothing pressing to do, he decided to be an even bigger troll than usual.  _

_ Master Yona sighed. “Mischievous my nephew is. But also mischievous you are.”  _

_ Obi-wan shrugged and went back to her sketch. She finished it and held it up to admire it. Interlocking chains around the edges that broke in the middle with pieces flying everywhere only to solidify into a silver beskar heart.  _

_ It was the best she could do to symbolize what she thought Jango’s greatest deed was.  _

_ “Good drawing. You have some talent.” Master Kiwiiks complimented.  _

_ She turned to Master Yona and concentrated. A medium-sized piece of rich blue fabric the color of Jango’s armor fell into her hands. “What else do I need to sew that,” She pointed to the drawing. “Onto here.” She jostled the fabric a little.  _

_ “Thread you will need and needles too.” Yona waved her hand and various colors of thread appeared.  _

_ So began Obi-wan’s lesson in needlework.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks entertained them by telling stories about the other council members and asking about things Obi-wan did in her days that confused the togruta greatly. Hair was one of them. _

_ Many finger pricks later and she had a section of the heart done.  _

_ “I have to go now. I’ll be back later. Keep this safe for me? Do not let any Mandalorian under any circumstance see it. It’s something special I am making for one of them.” Obi-wan ignored Master Kiwiiks knowing look.  _

_ The togruta got up and hugged her. “Be safe Obi-wan.”  _

_ “Stay safe she will, Master Kiwiiks.” Yona gathered up the fabric and set it aside neatly. She motioned for Obi-wan to bend down. She too hugged her. “Come back soon, Obi-wan. Succeed in your mission with Xanatos you will. Faith in you, I have.” Yona patted her cheek before letting her go.  _

_ Obi-wan gave one last look at her friends before she went back into a deeper sleep.  _

***

Obi-wan woke up. There was a certain feel in the air that something was going to happen. Obi-wan went about her morning cautiously. 

She got dressed and ate her breakfast. She then went out to do her morning katas with Master Dooku and Padawan Vosa. 

That situation hadn’t gone any better. With every moment Dooku paid attention to her, Padawan Vosa got meaner and meaner. She was lucky she was so little because if she was older, she was sure Padawan Vosa would have taken Bruck’s old place in her life. 

She tried being friendly at first but nothing worked. Finally, she just ignored her. She was an adult in her mind at least. She was too busy to have a petty rivalry with a Padawan. 

She waited for Xanatos to come back. She prayed every day to the Force that what happened the first time to make him fall did not happen yet. 

Obi-wan then went with Master Yoda to a class of some sort. Always beginner and always something to do with the Force. From beginners Force theory to an actual class where they practiced how to control the Force, she visited them all. 

Shaak and Kit were in a lot of her ‘classes’. She says that with a tone because she wasn’t allowed to participate. She could sit in with them but she wasn’t given homework like the others and she wasn’t supposed to do anything about using the Force. It was boring but it was better than being in the nursery all the time. 

Obi-wan then went back to the creche for lunch and naptime. Then came her favorite part of the day. Visiting the Room of a Thousand Fountains. 

The lake was a bright blue today and the waves were gently hitting the shore. The trees and flowers were blooming and it was just… peaceful. 

She missed coming here with Bruck and Quinlan. When the boys were here they traipsed all over, looking for bugs and whoever found the toughest by the time they were called back was the winner. 

Now, the two boys had classes and were preparing to have masters soon. Quinlan, she knew would most likely be Master Tholme’s padawan like last time. Quinlan made an excellent Jedi Shadow and who was going to rescue Aayla Secura if he didn’t. 

Plus, if she did fail and the clones were made, then Bly wouldn’t have her as his general. She knew that several clones fancied their generals. Bly was one of the major ones that everyone knew about but didn’t talk about. 

She knew Cody never felt that way about her. They kept things strictly professional. She knew that other troopers did like her like that though. She never encouraged them. 

Her mind went back to the walls of the council chamber in the afterlife. Plo Koon’s story told about the Wolfpack. That wolf drawing on the wall was very telling. Maybe Commander Wolffe saw him as a buir? I mean, he saved his, Boost, and Sinker’s lives when that blasted ion cannon hit. 

Obi-wan was knocked out of her thoughts and to the ground. Literally.

“Watch where you are going, little one.” Padawan Vosa’s tone was mocking as she jogged past. 

Obi-wan sat on the ground. Her lower lip trembled in an instinctive reaction. She set her jaw and was about to stand up when she was lifted into the air. 

“That wasn’t very nice, Padawan Vosa.” A voice rumbled against her back. “Apologize to the youngling.” 

Padawan Vosa’s face was red in anger. “Sorry.” She grits out before turning around and stalking off. 

“She’s a troubled one.” The voice murmured. “Are you alright, young one?” 

“I’m fine.” Obi-wan rubbed her eyes. It was only three in the afternoon and she was exhausted. 

“Let’s get you back to your agemates.” The Knight carried her off. “What’s your name, young one?” 

“Obi-wan.” She laid her head on the Knights shoulder. 

“You walked far, Obi-wan.” The knight brought her over to a creche master. “Master Tern. I seem to have found a wanderer.” 

“Thank you, Knight Feemor.” Master Tern took her from the blonde man. 

Obi-wan turned wide eyes on him. This was Feemor? Qui-Gon’s first padawan? Okay. Maybe Master Qui-gon was older than she thought. 

She studied the man as he chatted with Master Tern for a few minutes. She could sense a deep sadness in him. Obi-wan didn’t know what had happened but Feemor seemed to have carried it for a while. Did he know just how sad he felt in the Force? 

“Why are you sad?” Obi-wan blurted out interrupting their conversation. She knew it was rude but hey, she was impersonating a young child. Children this young were blunt. 

Feemor looked at her with depth to his blue eyes. “Sometimes things can’t be fixed, young one. Mistakes are made and relationships are broken. It’s just how life is.” 

Now that was interesting. Just who had hurt Feemor this way? Who had made him think that relationships break? 

“Fix?” She cocked her head to the side as a sigh seemed to shake through the adult. 

“No young one. I’m afraid this has gone too long without any hope of fixing.” Feemor spoke his goodbyes to Master Tern. He turned to Obi-wan. He reached out and ruffled her hair. “I’ll see you later, Young One.” 

Obi-wan focused on the Force as Feemor left. She focused on his bonds. His Master/Padawan bond was frayed beyond almost hope. But Obi-wan wasn’t most people. A thin string, thinner than the thread Yona had her use, connected student to master. 

Obi-wan knew one thing. Feemor’s sadness was connected to Qui-gon. Somehow, her old master had done something to their bond. It was almost non-existent. Obi-wan decided she was going to help Feemor fix that relationship. If only for the kind Knight’s happiness to come back. 

****

The next morning, while she was practicing katas with Master Dooku and Padawan Vosa, she brought up a certain subject with the master. 

“Master?” Obi-wan did another motion slowly. 

Padawan Vosa was ignoring her at the moment. That worked fine with Obi-wan. 

“Yes, Obi-wan?” Master Dooku went into another Makashi kata. 

“Why is Knight Feemor so sad? I met him. He’s sad.” Obi-wan focused on her next one. 

Master Dooku sighed. “Because Qui-gon can be… idiotic sometimes.” 

“But why?” She frowned. “What went wrong?” 

Master Dooku stopped all his katas. He instructed Padawan Vosa to keep going and led Obi-wan off to the side. They sat on a bench by the wall. “Why do you wish to know, Young One?” 

“I want to help. Feemor is sad. I want him happy. I want both happy.” Obi-wan looked up and widened her eyes. “Please? What went wrong?” 

It seemed even the great Master Dooku was not invincible to well-done akk puppy eyes. 

Master Dooku heaved a great sigh. “Qui-gon found Xanatos and wanted to take him on as a Padawan. He still had Knight Feemor as his Padawan.” 

Obi-wan felt a sick feeling well up. She knew how this story was going to end. 

“Instead of submitting him for the Knight trials, he denounced him in front of the council.” 

Yep. She knew it. She was not the first one Qui-gon had done that to. Would she have been like Knight Feemor had Qui-gon not died? Would she too have a frayed bond and the same deep sadness? 

“Qui-gon is mean.” She announced. 

Dooku gave her a reprimanding frown. “He is still a master, Young One. You must show respect.” 

Obi-wan ducked her head. Sometimes she forgot she wasn’t a master yet. “Sorry.” She looked up at him. “I’m sorry.” 

“Next time, think before you speak.” Master Dooku set her on the floor. “Come, Youngling. Back to our katas.” 

Obi-wan went back to the beginning motions of Shii-Cho. Her mind was working the whole time. She understood Feemor a whole lot more. Her want to help him intensified. But she faltered. She wasn’t over her own hurt at what Qui-gon did. How in this galaxy could she help another? 

Maybe… maybe she needed to face that Qui-gon wasn’t the best master there was. He had faults. Many faults. If he did that to his first padawan and he did it to her, what’s to stop him from doing it to Xanatos if she succeeded with him. 

Would… would Qui-gon take an interest in her and do the exact same thing to Xanatos? 

Obi-wan decided right then and there that Qui-gon Jinn was not going to be her Master again. If she was sent to Bandomeer this time, she was leaving and going somewhere else. She had a galaxy to save and being shuffled off to the Agricorps was not going to fly with her. 

Where would she go, though? 

A feeling passed over her. Mandalore. She would go to Mandalore. She still had her job with Tarre about saving his people. She would go there and begin her job if she got kicked out of the order. 

She shook her head of those thoughts. She still had nine more years before she would be considered for an apprenticeship. That was a long time. 

Her thoughts spiraled back to Feemor. Unknown to her was her katas slipping into familiar Soresu katas. Master Dooku’s eyes looking on with shock and curiosity. 

*****

Obi-wan meditated that night. She needed to talk to someone who understood. She needed (and she hated to admit this) but she needed someone’s help. 

*****

_ Obi-wan found herself in Yona’s rooms. The green Jedi was sitting down at a table. She lifted her head when Obi-wan appeared. Her brown eyes filled with concern.  _

_ “Wrong something is?” Yona got up from the table and came around to Obi-wan.  _

_ Obi-wan sat on the floor so Yona could reach her easier. The warmth from Yona’s arms around Obi-wan made tears spring to her eyes.  _

_ “They were right.” She whispered. “Qui-gon is not the right master for me. I don’t think he’s the right master for anyone.”  _

_ “Blinded our eyesight can be when it comes to someone we admire.” Yona stroked her three-fingered hands through Obi-wan’s hair comfortingly. “Brought this on what did?”  _

_ “I wasn’t the first one. I wasn’t the only one he did that to. Denouncing his padawans that actually managed to reach Knighthood. Had he not died, would I have been like his first one? With a bond so frayed it seems hopeless to fix? With all the pain and sadness from knowing that your master would willingly do that to you?” Obi-wan sat up straight as the old Jedi began doing something with her hair.  _

_ “Already have that pain you do. Help Qui-gon needs. Mind healer he needs.” Yona lightly tugged on her hair to get her to turn her head. “Hurting others with no clue he is.”  _

_ “Maybe… not a mind healer but someone else. Someone that could instruct him on social cues and how to treat people.” Obi-wan thought out loud. She huffed in frustration. “I wish I was older. I could use an adult to help show that Qui-gon needs additional help with other sentients.”  _

_ Master Yona just hummed in thought. “Work on your project, you could.”  _

_ Obi-wan sat and worked on Jango’s tapestry as Yona tugged on some sections and did something to others. Obi-wan felt the force move every so often. Finally, Yona pulled back.  _

_ “Done I am.” Yona made a mirror appear.  _

_ Obi-wan gasped. Was that really her? Normally she either tied it up in a bun or nerf tail. She didn’t have time for anything else.  _

_ Yona made her hair into intricate braids and had tucked some kind of metal into bits of her hair. Silver winked at her from between strands of red hair.  _

_ “Go now and see Tarre you must. Information he has for you.” Yona helped Obi-wan to her feet.  _

_ “Thank you, Master Yona.” Obi-wan bowed to the old master.  _

_ Yona waved her off. “Thanks are not needed. Fun I had. Go see your father you will.”  _

_ Obi-wan gave Yona one last grateful look and headed for Tarre’s training rooms.  _

_ She entered the rooms to see Tarre training against another Mandalorian. She recognized the familiar red and black armor of Jaster.  _

_ She waited by the side until the spar seemed to come to a draw. She clapped and let out a whistle.  _

_ “Ob’ika?” Tarre came over to her and gave her a hug. “What are you doing here?”  _

_ Obi-wan hugged him back. “I needed to talk to someone. Yona had some good advice.”  _

_ Tarre studied her hair. “You look mesh’la.”  _

_ Obi-wan frowned. “I don’t know what that means, but if you are calling me ugly I swear I will-”  _

_ Jaster laughed. “Someone needs to teach her our language. She can’t be around Mandalorians without knowing it. Some would take advantage of that.”  _

_ “Yes. I will work on that. Mesh’la means-” Tarre was cut off by a door opening.  _

_ “Beautiful. Last I checked.” Jango stepped into the room. He turned around and froze. He stiffened. “Kenobi.”  _

_ She sighed. So they were back to that then. Fine. “Fett.” She greeted.  _

_ Jango didn’t look away from her. His eyes were dark with some hidden emotion.  _

_ She felt self-conscious. She turned to Tarre. “Yona said you had information for me?”  _

_ Tarre got a serious look on his face. “Yes. Jaster’s past self has been remembering.”  _

_ Obi-wan scrunched up her nose. “Remembering what?”  _

_ “Something is leaking through. People who might have been on one path that you changed might remember their previous life.” Tarre explained patiently. “Keep an eye out. We are… monitoring the situation over in the Halls of the Ka’ra.”  _

_ Obi-wan flung up her hands. “I don’t understand. What is Jaster remembering?”  _

_ Tarre looked at her solemnly. “When Jaster watc-”  _

_ Obi-wan was suddenly gone.  _

****

Obi-wan woke up troubled. What was Tarre going to say? When Jaster did what? 

This was a problem. A major one. If Jaster was remembering, what about Quinlan or Master Dooku or… Bruck remembered what he was in a different life? Would he still be her friend? Would he be mad at her? 

Obi-wan took a deep breath. Until she knew for sure, she would not cross that bridge until she came to it. 

Obi-wan got up and dressed for the day. To her dismay, the hairdo that Yona had done was not in her hair anymore. She had no hope of recreating it on this plane because she was hopeless when it came to stuff like beauty and hairstyles. 

Simple was her preferred method. When she was an adult she wore minimal makeup. Just something around her eyes and maybe some chapstick. When she grew older and lived on Tatooine she wore nothing and had her hair up in a bun to keep it away from all the sand. 

Anakin was right in one way, sand does get everywhere. 

Obi-wan stumbled out into the main area. It was quiet. No masters were anywhere in sight. Was it really that early? 

Obi-wan pulled out a chair at the table and crawled up into it. She was used to going without caff now that she had been off of it for about two years now. But the smell still made her mouth water and made her crave a cup of the steaming hot brew. It brought back mornings with Cody either watching the sunrise on some planet while their troops moved around or on the ship when she was up almost all night doing paperwork and tea wasn’t going to cut it for what she needed that day. 

A shuffling noise reached her ears as Master Tern came out of his room when the caff pot really began going. 

“Obi-wan? What are you doing up this early?” Master Tern hurried over to her. “Are you hurt or sick? I didn’t hear you get out of bed.” 

Obi-wan sighed. “I’m fine. I just can’t sleep.” 

“Did you have a bad dream?” Master Tern sounded sympathetic. 

“No.” Obi-wan shook her head. “See Feemor?” 

Master Tern shook his head. “Knight Feemor is busy this morning. Why do you want to see him?” 

Obi-wan shrugged her shoulders casually. “Breakfast?” 

“It should be here in an hour.” Master Tern turned to the cupboards and looked around for a moment. “Here.” 

He set a small cup of fruit in light syrup in front of her. He carefully peeled back the lid. 

Obi-wan knew these were for the older kids. A normal two-year-old couldn’t eat this without choking. Maybe he was testing her? 

“Careful.” He cautioned. He handed her a spoon. 

Obi-wan made sure she chewed each piece of fruit as thoroughly as she could. Master Tern hovered like a mother tooka as she ate her before breakfast snack. 

Obi-wan had never been this well-fed in years. She looked it too. She had a healthy weight to her. Chubby cheeks aside, she was a normal weight for a two-year-old. 

Obi-wan ate her snack and then ate most of her breakfast. After everyone was done eating she was ushered off to Master Dooku and Padawan Vosa. 

Master Dooku’s katas seemed harder today. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was using a difficulty level more suited to an intermediate. 

She copied him without knowing what he was doing. Her mind raced. What was Dooku planning? 

Suddenly he launched himself at her. 

Years of war came back to haunt her as she instinctively called for a lightsaber. Anything to her hands to defend herself from the Sith. 

An echo of remorse reached her heart before something thudded into her palms. She swung the training lightsaber into the Soresu opening stance. 

She realized her mistake a second later. She widened her eyes and quickly dropped the lightsaber. Before Master Dooku could speak, Obi-wan sprinted off out of the salles. 

She wondered why they didn’t chase after her. She was two and had short legs. Surely all he had to do was make a few strides to her and pick her up around the waist. 

Obi-wan flung a look back before she disappeared out the door. She saw Master Dooku staring at where she was with his mouth slightly open. 

Padawan Vosa was no better. Her jaw was dropped and her arms were raised in a forgotten kata. She was staring incredulously at the spot where Obi-wan made her biggest mistake. 

Obi-wan vanished around the corner. She needed a place nearby to hide. She couldn’t walk the long distance to her favorite spot yet with her too-short legs. It had to be somewhere in the salles. 

Obi-wan searched and found an abandoned salle room with a storage closet. Obi-wan ducked inside and hid among the forgotten lightsabers from fallen Jedi. The Kyber crystals called out to her. 

Obi-wan shut her eyes and covered her ears. Just what had she done?


	8. Chapter Seven - Qui-gon's Padawans Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... many of you had questions about the afterlife and how it works... well, I'm here to answer that. 
> 
> Obi-wan's soul is from the future so when she meditates she slips back there because that is where her soul comes from. 
> 
> Think of it this way. Her soul is from a different time but her body isn't. So... anytime she meditates her soul goes... "Oh. I'm going back to my time because that's where I belong." 
> 
> That being said... since the Mandalorians have something that you will find out about in this chapter... Tarre can contact souls from the past. Only because he is both a Mandalorian and a Jedi. It's something I will expand on later. 
> 
> For now, that is how the afterlife works. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Obi-wan gasped for breath. She was going to be in trouble. Major trouble. The one thing Tarre had been insistent on besides saving the Mandalorians was that no one was to know she was from the future. 

She closed her eyes tightly against the tears that welled up. She revealed herself. They were going to know everything and… 

Obi-wan felt her soul being tugged somewhere. She recognized the same feeling from her time as a Force ghost. 

Obi-wan sighed. What’s done was done. There was no changing it. She had to face the music at some point. She couldn’t hide forever. 

Obi-wan closed her eyes and slipped into the Force. 

***

_ Obi-wan blinked back tears as she found herself in Master Kiwiiks rooms. The togruta was humming as she made herself a cup of something.  _

_ Obi-wan hunched over as sobs wracked her body. She failed again! She always failed in everything she did. Why did they choose her? The biggest failure of all the Jedi. _

_ Master Kiwiiks spun around before embracing Obi-wan.  _

_ “What’s wrong? What happened?” The usual stoic Master Kiwiiks was frantic as she tried comforting and figuring out what made Obi-wan cry.  _

_ “Obi-wan? What’s wrong?” The togruta wrapped her in her arms. “Shh. It’s alright whatever it was. It’s alright.”  _

_ Obi-wan gave a self-deprecating laugh. “No, it’s not. I failed. Every kriffing time I do something I fail. I failed my padawan. I failed the Order. I failed Luke. I failed at this stupid task because the one thing Tarre asked me to do I flipping failed!” Obi-wan stood up and wiped her eyes. “Why do I always fail at everything I do?”  _

_ “That’s enough!”  _

_ Obi-wan flinched. She had never seen Master Kiwiiks this angry. Whatever she was angry about Obi-wan probably deserved it.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks looked upset. “You are not a failure Obi-wan. I don’t want to hear those words leave your mouth again. I don’t know what happened but it wasn’t your fault. You cannot be held responsible for the actions of others.”  _

_ “What if it was my own actions?” Obi-wan just looked at her helplessly. “What then?”  _

_ Running footsteps reached her ears before the door was flung wide open. It hit the wall with a loud bang!  _

_ “I’m here. What’s the emergency?” Tarre panted. He took in the scene. “Ob’ika?”  _

_ Obi-wan felt tears well back up. “I’m sorry. I-”  _

_ Master Kiwiiks cleared her throat and gave Obi-wan a pointed look.  _

_ “I messed up,” Obi-wan explained Dooku’s attack on her and her reaction to it.  _

_ Tarre hummed and reached out to her. Obi-wan flinched. Tarre’s hand froze about five inches from touching her.  _

_ “Ob’ika. It’s not your fault. It sounds like it was instinctive. You did it without thinking.” Tarre’s words were soothing. “I’ve seen men like that. Every Mandalorian has done something like that before. We are no strangers to war. It changes people and it makes us do things when we are startled or triggered. Just the other day Jango threw a knife at Jaster because Jaster popped up where he was working. Jaster was lucky he was already dead or he would have a one-way trip to here.”  _

_ Obi-wan couldn’t help but laugh at that mental picture. She could just see Jango reacting and flinging a knife while Jaster stood there with shock all across his face.  _

_ “There you are Ob’ika. You are not in trouble.” Tarre tried reaching for Obi-wan again.  _

_ Obi-wan allowed herself to be pulled into a warm but cold metal hug. “What’s going to happen? What will Dooku do?”  _

_ “We can watch in our Fire. Like the Jedi who have the Waters of Abagoul to show you the past, we Mandalorians have a fire that shows the future.” Tarre nodded at Master Kiwiiks. “Thank you Bela for getting me as quickly as you could.”  _

_ Master Kiwiiks nodded. “Take care of her Tarre.”  _

_ Tarre and Obi-wan vanished from Master Kiwiiks rooms.  _

_ ^^^^ _

_ Obi-wan found herself in the huge main room of the Halls of the Ka’ra. It was packed. Every spot at every table was filled. The whole council was laughing, jeering, and talking over each other.  _

_ She spotted Jango at a table with other Mand’alor’e his age. His dark gaze met her’s for half a minute before an elbow knocked into his side and a Mand’alor said something that made him look away with a snarl on his face.  _

_ Tarre raised his hands and the room quieted.  _

_ “What is it you wish to do Mand’alor Vizsla?” An armored Mandalorian stepped from the crowd. He wore black, gold and red?... No. That color was too vivid and dark to be plain red. Maybe scarlet? Yeah. The new Mandalorian wore black, gold, and scarlet armor.  _

_ “I am sorry to interrupt your meeting but I wish for my daughter to look into the fires.” Tarre stepped aside for Obi-wan to be seen.  _

_ Suddenly, she was the focus of hundreds of Mandalorians. She could feel every one of their stares.  _

_ Obi-wan shifted but raised her head defiantly. If they wanted to stare at her then let them. She was a proud Jedi and if anyone had a problem she would be happy to- _

_ A loud laugh startled her. The black-armored Mandalorian clapped Tarre on the shoulder. “Mandokarla indeed. It’s a shame the Jetii found her first. We would have taken good care of her. Come, Obi-wan, and see your future.”  _

_ Obi-wan stepped closer to the fire pit. The flames crackled and danced in its brazier. An eternal flame that would never go out or need more fuel. The heat blasted her in the face and she could feel sweat beading on her brow.  _

_ “Look carefully. For knowing the future is not always a good thing.” The black-armored Mandalorian stepped back like Obi-wan was going to explode.  _

_ She looked around the room at all the Mand’alor’e looking at her. She met the gaze of Jango and took a deep breath. She turned and looked into the fires.  _

_ After, she couldn’t remember exactly what she saw. She had instinctive knowledge that everything was alright at the current moment. That she wasn’t in trouble with anyone. Dooku didn’t think she was from the future. He thought… something else.  _

_ Obi-wan blinked and stepped back from the fires. A cheer rose up and Mandalorians everywhere began to pull out food and drinks.  _

_ “Um… what’s going on?” Obi-wan looked over at Tarre who was beaming.  _

_ “I told you!” He boomed. “She’s one of us! The Ka’ra has made it so.”  _

_ Obi-wan just looked around confused as people milled about. She felt a presence stop at her side. She looked over to see Jango with an uncertain look on his face. When he noticed her looking, he dropped the look into his normal uncaring one.  _

_ “Congratulations Jetii. You’re one of us.” Jango spread his arms wide. “You may not be Mand’alor, but you are… Mandalorian.”  _

_ “Wow. Was that hard to say? Do you need a medic?” Obi-wan sassed. She was confused and tired and she needed to wake up. Unfortunately, when she was tired she got sarcastic.  _

_ “Look. I don’t like it either, but the fires don’t lie. If you weren’t a Mandalorian or even didn’t have Mandokarla, you would have exploded and the fires would have consumed you.” Jango’s tone was a matter of fact. “Face it and like it or not but you  _ **_are_ ** _ a Mandalorian.”  _

_ Obi-wan paled. “You mean I might have… Why did no one tell me?!”  _

_ Jango rolled his eyes. “That’s what you are focusing on? The fact that you could have been consumed? Look they didn’t tell you because they believed you were already one of us. There was no point in telling you something that would never happen.” Jango quickly added on. “At least in their minds.”  _

_ “What about yours?” Obi-wan looked at him with curiosity. “Did you think I would have exploded?”  _

_ It looked like Jango was going to ignore her question. He opened his mouth but someone cut him off.  _

_ “Fett! You have a successor! This guy is amazing! Come look!” A hand waved across the room. “Mand’alor Djarin is great!” There was a crowd gathered around something in the back.  _

_ “You better go.” Obi-wan was calm. She had faced too much today and she was at her limit. “I have to go too. Enjoy the party.”  _

_ Jango gave her a slow nod before heading off to the back corner.  _

_ Obi-wan sighed. She went to find Tarre. He was talking with some older Mand’alor’e. “Buir?” She called hesitantly. “I have to go. I just wanted to say goodbye and thanks for helping me.”  _

_ “No thanks needed Ob’ika. It’s my pleasure as a buir to take care of you.” Tarre gave her another hug.  _

_ Obi-wan felt uncomfortable at the fact he was doing it in front of people she didn’t know.  _

_ “Goodbye Ob’ika. You didn’t mess up too bad.” Tarre smirked. “You might just have some visitors.”  _

_ Obi-wan frowned. “What do you mean?”  _

_ Tarre just touched her forehead.  _

****

“I hate it when he does that.” She grumbled. 

“Does what, young one?” 

Obi-wan jumped. She turned quickly and saw Knight Feemor seated next to her. His head touched the top of the cupboard and he was hunched over. He didn’t look comfortable but the knight had a calm smile on his face. 

Obi-wan just stared. 

“I used to come here. This was my hideaway growing up when things got to be too much.” Knight Feemor seemed even sadder than usual. “It’s nice to see it still in use. No one comes here.” 

Obi-wan frowned. Why was he here? 

“You have the temple on red alert. Everyone is looking for you.” Feemor looked over at her. “I don’t know what you did, and Master Dooku is not sharing with anyone but the council, but I have never seen him that startled in my life. He looked like he saw a ghost.” 

Obi-wan ducked her head. “Am I in trouble?” 

“No, young one. I think the council will have a lot of questions though.” Feemor sat in silence for a few minutes. “You asked about why I was sad.” Feemor broke the quiet with his voice. 

“I know. Master Dooku told me.” Obi-wan let him know softly. 

Feemor chuckled. “Curiosity is a good thing sometimes, but don’t let it drag you into trouble.” 

“Yes, Knight Feemor.” Obi-wan bowed her head at his gentle rebuke. 

“Look at me, Obi-wan.” 

Obi-wan met his blue eyes. 

“You are not in trouble.” Feemor made his voice fill with faith in her. “You will do well in what you plan because you have the determination and will to succeed. You will have a lot of pressure put on you as you grow because of what you are. Don’t let it break you down. You are strong. Any youngling that can put the temple on emergency twice in two months is okay with me.” 

Obi-wan felt a little smile quirk her mouth up. 

“Are you ready to come out and face your part in this galaxy?” Feemor looked at her with concern. 

Obi-wan thought for a moment. She didn’t know what was going to happen but she knew she had to complete this task. She was doing it for Master Kiwiiks, for Yona, for Tarre and his people, for Jaster, and for… Jango. Because he didn’t deserve what the future held for him. 

“I am.” She spoke firmly. She gazed at Feemor with renewed determination. She would save both Mand’alor’e if it was the last thing she did. 

*****

There were lots of sighs of relief and mild scoldings as people called off the search. Obi-wan was carried to the creche and given a more thorough talk by Master Tern for abandoning the teacher that was supposed to watch her. 

It was the same lecture she had gotten a lot in her old life. She could probably recite it word for word. 

Obi-wan was set in the middle of the other kids to play. She would not go to her classes with Shaak and Kit. They would miss her she was sure. 

Quinlan and Bruck were causing a fuss to see her and were promised that after their classes they could spend some time with her. 

She knew she would be closely monitored from here on out. There goes her visiting her family anytime soon. 

It was early afternoon when she was called before the Jedi council and not the fun one. 

Obi-wan looked up as Master Nu stepped into the creche. She spoke to Master Tern before making her way to where Obi-wan was playing with the blocks again. 

“Obi-wan?” Master Nu crouched down to face her. “The council wants to speak with you, will you come with me?” 

Obi-wan nodded and stood up. She followed Master Nu to the door of the creche. Master Nu picked her up and carried her out of the nursery and to the lift. 

Obi-wan felt like she was heading to her death or something. Since she was killed on the Death Star by Anakin, she knew very well what that felt like. 

Master Nu must have sensed something from her because the archivist spoke softly to her. “We just want to talk to you. You are not in trouble, Young One.” 

Obi-wan didn’t feel like that was as comforting as Master Nu intended. 

They rode the lift all the way up to the top floor. 

As they ascended Obi-wan decided to make the council see that Qui-gon needed help. This was her best chance. 

They stepped out of the lift and down the halls to the main council rooms. 

“I have the youngling.” Master Nu gently set Obi-wan on the floor in the middle of the council. 

Obi-wan looked each of the council members in the eyes. She only recognized Yoda from her own time on the council. A different person was sitting in Mace’s usual spot. 

Obi-wan bravely stepped forward. “You wished to see me, Masters.” She clasped her hands to her chest and bowed at the waist. She swore someone let out a tiny sound of awe before it was quickly muffled. 

“Youngling.” Master Yoda began. “Wish to speak to you about your meditation we do.” 

Obi-wan frowned. Why would they want to know about that? 

“Deep in the Force you go.” Yoda continued. “What do you see?” 

Obi-wan bit her lip. She could tell a version of the truth or she could lie. Lies were always found out and the memory of Luke’s hurt gaze at her lies sprang to her mind. She took a deep breath. 

“Master Kiwiiks, Master Yona, and Master Vizsla,” Obi-wan spoke. 

The council exploded in whispers. 

“Help you they do? Teach you things?” Yoda questioned he banged his gimmer stick in a reminder to be quiet. 

“Yes. Master Vizsla teaches me to fight.” Obi-wan felt bad for throwing her friends under the speeder but she couldn’t think of anything else. Jango and Jaster she would keep secret though. And any other aspect of the afterlife. 

The council murmured to each other again. 

“How long have you seen them?” Master Nu spoke up. She looked at Obi-wan like she was an archive project in the making. 

“A long time.” Obi-wan sighed. “Master Kiwiiks is mad at Master Vizsla though. So is Master Yona. They say Master Vizsla hogs me.” 

Yoda’s ears perked up. “Master Yona, you say?” 

“Yes.” Obi-wan nodded her head. “She says hi by the way.” 

Yoda seemed to come to a conclusion. “Hurt the Youngling will not be. Family members, I have, looking out for her.” 

The council began to argue back and forth. Obi-wan flinched at the angry voices. 

“Enough.” Master Nu picked her up. “We will discuss this like the Jedi Masters we are. I will take Obi-wan back to the creche and the rest of you will discuss what you would like to do while I am gone.” Master Nu left the council rooms with her on her hip. 

Obi-wan wiggled. “Wait!” 

Master Nu turned back to the council. 

“Master Jinn needs help,” Obi-wan stated her case to the council members. 

“Help how young one?” Master Dooku spoke up. He still eyed her like she was the greatest mystery he ever faced. 

“Master Yona said a mind healer but I think more like someone to help him with people.” Obi-wan tried not to feel offended at the council’s lack of response. Well, except one master who was cooing over how adorable she was. 

“Why does Master Yona think he needs a mind healer?” Master Dooku looked worried. 

“Because of the way he treats people. He doesn’t know how to treat people right. Master Tern says we are supposed to be nice but Master Jinn isn’t.” Obi-wan hurried to explain before she could be lectured on respect for her elders. “He’s not nice to Knight Feemor and not nice to Padawan Xanatos. He treats them like tools to be used instead of people. Please?” Obi-wan widened her eyes and pouted her lower lip. She was not above using her toddler status as a weapon. She clasped her hands in front of her chest. “He needs help. Think about it?” 

A shimmering blue image appeared next to her. Many of the council members gasped. 

Yona was there. She patted Obi-wan’s hair in comfort. Obi-wan could feel something was off though. This wasn’t her Yona. It was the past Yona she thinks. 

“Right the youngling is. Help Master Jinn needs.” Yona nudged Obi-wan to Master Nu. “Go with Master Nu you should, youngling. Speak with the council, I will.” 

Obi-wan impulsively hugged her. “Thanks, Master Yona.” 

Obi-wan could feel Yona’s amusement. “Go now, Obi-wan. Talk later we will.” 

Obi-wan laughed delightedly. Oh, she could just feel Yona’s mischievousness. Maybe she was more like Yoda than she thinks. Obi-wan was not going to forget this. Ever. 

She wished she could be in on this council meeting. It would top the time that Master Koon got a com call in the middle of a meeting. Commander Wolffe had called him complaining to his buir that Sinker had stolen something of his. 

She doubts that she had never felt the urge to laugh so hard as when Plo had merely sighed and said to Sinker over the coms to give Commander Wolffe back his favorite blaster. The Kel Dor had never sounded more like an exasperated parent when their kids are pettily fighting over a toy. 

Obi-wan sighed in disappointment. She wouldn’t get to see this meeting. 

Yona must have felt something because she laughed. “Tell you later Young One I will. Waiting Master Nu is.” 

Obi-wan dragged her feet over to Master Nu. It was so unfair. She wished she was on the council. 

Master Nu picked her up and they left the council chambers. 

All the way back to the creche Master Nu was fishing for information to add to her archives. 

From questions like, ‘What is Master Vizsla like?’ to ‘Who is Master Kiwiiks? What is she like?’ 

Obi-wan felt like she was being interrogated by an enthusiastic warden. Or questioned by an overeager student, she mused. 

Master Nu seemed to collect herself as they reached the creche. “Goodbye Obi-wan. If you want to talk again you are welcome in the archives.” 

Obi-wan decided she would never take her up on her offer. Not even if she was so bored that even lightsaber training wasn’t interesting. 

Master Nu was taken off her list as potential Masters. She could just see it. Sitting for hours while Master Nu talked her ear off about the history that Tarre, Master Kiwiiks, and Yona lived through. 

Obi-wan went back to playing with the younglings. Yona never showed before bedtime. 

*****

_ Obi-wan was dreaming. She was sure because she didn’t remember meditating.  _

_ She was in a familiar room. Yona was sitting at her table.  _

_ Yona eyed her up and down.  _

_ This was past Yona again.  _

_ “Hello, Master Yona.” Obi-wan sat down in a seat in her adult form. “How did you know to come?”  _

_ “Contacted me Tarre did from the future. From the future, your soul is too.” Yona looked at her curiously.  _

_ “Yes. The future is… a mess. The council wished for me to go back and fix everything.” Obi-wan sighed.  _

_ “Friend I am in the future?” Master Yona’s ears perked up.  _

_ “A very good friend. Master Kiwiiks, Tarre, and you have taken an interest in me at least that’s what Master Kiwiiks says.” Obi-wan watched as Yona gave a thoughtful nod like what Obi-wan said was a reassurance of something.  _

_ “Help you I will, though not a lot.” Yona gave her hand a pat. “Not for a while will I see you. Goodbye Obi-wan.”  _

_ ^^^^ _

_ Obi-wan blinked and was standing in the council rooms of the Jedi temple. The one of Coruscant.  _

_ She watched as Master Yona cheerfully greeted her nephew. “Good to see you Yoda it is.”  _

_ “Aunt Yona.” Master Yoda nodded at his family member. “Help Obi-wan you are?”  _

_ “Special Obi-wan is. Already knew that you did.” Master Yona chided him.  _

_ Yoda’s ears drooped like a scolded youngling. Obi-wan stifled a chuckle.  _

_ “So she is the one the prophecy spoke of?” Master Dooku seemed to have gotten over his shock.  _

_ Yona didn’t answer him for a while she just looked at him. “Given for a reason prophecies are. Dwell not on the future you should.”  _

_ “How did Obi-wan learn Soresu that well? She executed the opening stance perfectly.” Master Dooku spoke up again.  _

_ Obi-wan saw Yona’s ears twitch in irritation. “Teaching her to fight Tarre is. Soresu Obi-wan prefers.”  _

_ There were whispering among the council. Yona waited patiently.  _

_ “Is Tarre the reason we had a Mandalorian inquire about her?” The Jedi who was Mace’s predecessor spoke up. His hands were pressed together only at the tips of his fingers.  _

_ Yona smiled. “Great admirers Obi-wan has. Many wish to see her. Go I must.” Yona turned to Yoda. She seemed to smirk. “Cute youngling you were Yoda. Good to see how you have grown. Show Obi-wan pictures I will.”  _

_ Yona faded away and Obi-wan just let loose. The image of a blushing Yoda would forever be in her mind.  _

_ **** _

Obi-wan woke up giggling. That meeting was priceless. She also got some information from it. A Mandalorian had been asking about her? Who was it? Was it someone she knew? 

Obi-wan wanted to find out. How was she to do that though? She knew she couldn’t see it for a while. Since her newest stunt yesterday, the creche masters were not going to let her out of their sight for a month at the latest. 

Unless this Mando did a heist on the temple, she was safe for a month. She could wait. 

In the meantime, she got other news when she went about her day. 

Xanatos was back. It was time to resume her mission. 

That afternoon in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, she roamed all over, looking for Xanatos. Surely he had to be here somewhere. 

“Obi-wan?” A voice called. 

Someone jogged over to her and picked her up. “What are you doing so far from your agemates?” Knight Feemor was holding her. 

“I’m looking for someone,” Obi-wan told him. She leaned out of his arms. “Down?” 

Knight Feemor looked around. “Okay. May I join you Obi-wan?” 

Obi-wan thought for a moment. If she could get Xanatos and Feemor to meet, maybe they could help each other and be friends. 

“Okay.” Obi-wan led the way around the lake. Feemor was quietly at her side despite the short strides he had to take. 

Obi-wan was getting frustrated. She knew he was here somewhere. She closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. She felt Xanatos and followed his Force presence. She pushed aside some vines and found Xanatos sitting with his knees to his chest in a hidden glade. 

Obi-wan gave a tentative smile. Jango’s words came back to her again and she took a deep breath. 

“Hi!” Obi-wan sat down next to him. 

Feemor waited by the edge of the glade nervously. 

“Sit.” Obi-wan patted the grass next to her. 

Feemor slowly sat down. He eyed Xanatos. “Are you okay Padawan Xanatos?” 

Despite what Feemor went through he was still kind and caring. Obi-wan wanted to be more like him. 

“I’m fine,” Xanatos grunted. 

His voice sounded off like he was holding back tears to be brave. 

“What did Qui-gon do?” Feemor sighed. “Don’t take what he does to the heart. Qui-gon is not good with people. It’s just plain fact.” 

Xanatos hid his face in his knees. His breath hitched as his shoulders shook. 

Obi-wan was quiet as Qui-gon’s padawans comforted each other. She realized that all three of them were here. She too could be considered one of them. 

“It’s just… he’s so obsessed with that stupid prophecy and he doesn’t… it feels like he doesn’t care about me. I’m supposed to be his padawan and he is so focused on his next one that he doesn’t spend time teaching me.” Xanatos mumbled into his legs. 

Feemor shook his head. “Did I tell you that I was Qui-gon’s padawan too? I know how he works. He’s not the best teacher.” 

“I help,” Obi-wan spoke up. “I told the council that he needs a mind healer. They said they would talk about it.” Obi-wan reached out and patted Xanatos’ knee. “Soon, he will be better. He will get help.” 

Feemor and Xanatos just stared at her. Obi-wan shrugged. She didn’t like their looks so she kept talking to distract herself. 

“Master Qui-gon is a good Jedi but he’s bad with people. Soon, he will get help. If not, I will go back to the council and…” 

Obi-wan froze as Xanatos slung an arm around her. “Thank you, Obi-wan. You are a good kid. I… I think you will do what’s right for this order.” 

Obi-wan bit back her tears. Was this really happening? Was this really Xanatos telling her he has faith in her? 

Maybe… maybe Jango was right. She did need to let go of everything that people who have hurt her done. She thought about Jango. He had a heart of beskar that was for sure. If he could survive slavery and still be this strong, maybe he was someone worth listening to when it came to matters like this. She wished she could be as strong as Jango. 

“If you ever need me, Xanatos, you can always come to me. I will always be here. I have been Qui-gon’s padawan and I know how he acts.” Feemor slung his arm around Xanatos’ on her shoulders. 

“I… I don’t want Obi-wan to be his next padawan.” Xanatos admitted. 

“Then we will make it happen because I don’t think it’s a good idea either,” Feemor assured. “Xanatos? We are brothers. Whatever we face, we face it together.” 

Xanatos broke. He sobbed into Feemor’s shoulder. Obi-wan was squished between the two older ones. 

They were Qui-gon’s padawans and they stuck together. 

“I here for you too,” Obi-wan announced. “Both of you. I will be a sister?” 

Xanatos and Feemor shared a look over her head.    
  


“Okay, Obi-wan. You can be our little sister.” Xanatos ruffled her hair. “Anyone who can get the creche masters in that much of a mess is alright with me.” 

“I agree,” Feemor smirked. He looked up at the glass roof. “We better get you back Obi-wan before another temple-wide hunt is sent out for you.” 

Obi-wan frowned. “But I want to be here with you.” 

“We will see you the next time you come here. You will meet one of us by the lake.” Feemor crawled out of the glade. “You coming, little brother?” 

Xanatos smiled. “Right behind our little sister.” 

Obi-wan beamed. She did it. She gave Xanatos someone to have when things go sideways. Maybe he won’t fall after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE BEGINNING NOTE PLEASE DO. IT WILL MAKE THINGS MAKE MORE SENSE. 
> 
> Past Yona will only be showing up for this chapter. If you are confused, see the beginning note. Hopefully, I explained it to you guys. She is dreaming when she sees past Yona. She is NOT meditating. 
> 
> I hope you guys liked it.


	9. Chapter Eight - Lifedays with Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg!!! OmiV5 made amazing artwork of baby Obi-wan. Guys, it's super cute. If you want a look here's the link...
> 
> https://omikronwhiesai.tumblr.com/post/643761061810601984
> 
> I hope that's correct. 
> 
> This chapter is for you Omi. They are amazing.

She was so close to turning three she couldn’t wait. Her lifeday was almost here. It was two days away. She couldn’t wait because after her lifeday she had two more lifedays before her schooling started. 

Quinlan and Bruck were acting shifty. Quinlan was now eight and Bruck was seven. They were still her friends despite the age difference. She didn’t know for sure about them sneaking out again. That didn’t mean that they didn’t actually do it but... she had heard rumors about some younglings sneaking out and she knew it was them. 

Their trip to Little Keldabe was on her mind. What were they doing there all those months ago? Did they keep going back? For what, though? 

Obi-wan was upset she was being monitored. Since she had set the temple on red alert twice in two months, she was not allowed to be anywhere without at least a knight to watch her. 

She hadn’t seen Knight Saan for a while. Not since he got her to be able to have classes with the older kids. She thinks he is on a mission. 

Knight Feemor had taken her a few times to have fun with him and Xanatos. While he wasn’t happy all the way, he was getting there. Every time she saw him with Xanatos, he was smiling more and laughing more. 

Obi-wan stacked blocks happily. Her skills were coming along nicely. She was a master now in moving things with the Force. She could now build three towers at once and play with multiple younglings now. 

A twi’lek, a rodian, and a humanoid knocked down her towers, squealing the whole time. 

“Obi-wan?” A voice called to her. Obi-wan turned her head to see Knight Saan in the doorway. 

Obi-wan got to her feet and walked quickly over to him. “Hi!” 

“Hi, Obi-wan. I heard you are making friends.” Knight Saan ruffled her hair. 

Obi-wan smiled up at him. “Knight Feemor was sad so I made him happy.” 

“Good job. I know Knight Feemor. He and I were agemates.” Knight Saan seemed lost in thought for a moment. 

Obi-wan patted his leg. “Knight Saan?” 

Knight Saan shook his head and looked down at her. “Yes, Obi-wan?” 

Obi-wan hugged his knees. “I’m glad you are back.” 

“I’m glad too. It’s good to be home. I heard someone’s Lifeday is coming up.” Knight Saan smiled. He placed a finger on his chin. “I wonder who’s it could be.” 

Obi-wan rolled her eyes. “It’s mine.” She told him. 

Knight Saan laughed again. 

Obi-wan smiled. She liked making him laugh. He needed it almost as much as Knight Feemor. 

Obi-wan spent the remaining part of her day playing with Knight Saan and the other kids. Knight Saan seemed thoughtful as he tucked her in bed. 

“Obi-wan?” He sat on the edge of her bed. She finally graduated from a crib to a bed with railings. 

“Yes, Knight Saan?” Obi-wan blinked up at him. 

“You don’t play with the others all that much. You almost seem to play by practicing Force skills.” Knight Saan reached out and pushed back some hair off her forehead. 

Obi-wan just sighed. She settled in her bed. 

“Do you know why Mandalorians are asking about you? I overheard some council members talking about it.” 

Obi-wan closed her eyes as Knight Saan kept running his hands through her hair. Maybe she has a thing about people comforting her by her hair? 

Obi-wan hummed as she slipped to sleep. Knight Saan was so soothing. His presence was almost as soothing as Tarre’s. 

“Goodnight, Little one.” 

Obi-wan vaguely felt Knight Saan move away from her bed. 

*****

The next day, Obi-wan woke slowly. She felt like she got the best rest she ever could. There were no nightmares or memories of war and all she had lost. She felt like someone held her all night and kept away the bad dreams. 

Obi-wan walked into the main room to see Quinlan, Bruck, Knight Feemor, and Padawan Xanatos waiting for her. 

Obi-wan came to a stop about three feet away. “Hello?” She called cautiously. 

Master Tern came bustling out of his room. “Knight Feemor, I am trusting you with the care of Initiate Vos and Initiate Chun along with Obi-wan. I expect them back by mid-afternoon. Obi-wan still has things to do.” 

“Yes, Master Tern.” Knight Feemor bowed. “Padawan Xanatos and I will keep a close eye on them. We will be back shortly after lunch.” 

“Obi-wan.” Master Tern motioned her over to the group of her friends. “Knight Feemor has requested for you to join him today for the morning. I expect you to stay with him at all times.” 

Obi-wan ducked her head. “Yes, Master.” 

Quinlan couldn’t hold back any longer and bounded over to her. “Hi, Obi! We are going to have so much fun today!” Quinlan picked her up. “Let’s go!” 

Obi-wan resigned herself to being carried for most of the morning. Obi-wan was carried from the creche and down the halls to the hangars. 

“Where are we going?” Obi-wan asked her friends. 

“To celebrate your lifeday,” Bruck answered. “It was their idea.” Bruck gestured to Quinlan and Xanatos. “Knight Feemor is our guardian today.” 

Obi-wan nodded. She was set in a speeder in a child’s safety seat. Quinlan and Bruck were squished next to her in the backseat. Feemor was driving and Xanatos called the front passenger seat. 

It was a strange group she mused. Two of them made her life miserable the first time around, three of them fell to the Darkside, and one she never met in her first life. She was bringing people closer together this time and maybe that might save the galaxy. 

Feemor drove to a parking structure near a restaurant block. He led the way out of the parking area and to a lift. They crammed inside and Obi-wan realized they all were holding packages decorated in bright paper. 

She frowned. What were those? 

Feemor led them to a diner. 

It wasn’t Dex’s. She doesn’t think he was out of arms dealing yet. She still had to save him. She was looking forward to that wild adventure again. It would be so much fun. 

They smushed themselves into a booth and Obi-wan was placed in a booster seat. She was disgruntled over that. She was a fully trained Jedi Master and she was forced into a kiddie seat. 

They had fun looking over the menu. Finally, they all agreed on pancakes. Their order was taken by the waitress droid and then they settled down. 

“Obi-wan.” Feemor began. “I know your lifeday isn’t until tomorrow but we decided to have it a day early.” 

“Yeah. Because someone couldn’t wait.” Bruck gave a pointed look at Quinlan. 

The kiffar shrugged. “It’s Obi. And I wanted to give her my gift.” 

“Our gift.” Bruck corrected. “You couldn’t have gotten it without me.” 

Quinlan sprawled in the booth. “Our gift.” He repeated. 

Bruck was almost his polar opposite. Where Quinlan was tan-skinned and had dark hair, Bruck was paler and had white hair. Where Quinlan was exuberant and loud, Bruck thought before he spoke and was more refined in manners. 

Obi-wan looked at the stack of boxes apprehensively. They were giving her gifts? Jedi weren’t supposed to have attachments and material things. What were in those packages? 

“We will let the youngest go first.” Feemor nodded to Bruck. “Go ahead, Bruck.” 

Bruck pushed over a smallish box. “This is from me. Quinlan has the one from both of us and his own gift.” 

Obi-wan opened it up and gasped. 

It was a tiny beaded bracelet perfect for her wrist. The strands of thread were an icy blue and a soft grey. They twined around each other in a strong braid. Beads of white were placed here and there. 

“I made it myself.” Bruck sounded self-conscious. “It’s a friendship thing on my planet.” 

Obi-wan beamed and held out her left wrist to Bruck. Bruck shook his head. “Your other hand Obi. Wearing it on your left means a whole other thing.” 

Obi-wan switched arms and held out her right hand. Bruck tied the small bracelet around her wrist. “Thanks, Bru.” 

Obi-wan admired the two threads and how they were skillfully weaved into a strong band. 

Quinlan pushed forward two boxes. One was slightly smaller than the other. 

Obi-wan reached for them and opened the first one. It was a clip for her hair. Quinlan had somehow got her a silver hair clip that had stars on it. 

“That’s from me and Bruck. We got it made by the Mandalorians because I read that they were the best metalworkers.” Quinlan beamed. 

Obi-wan felt tears in her eyes. It reminded her so much of Tarre and Jaster and the Halls of the Ka’ra. If she wasn’t mistaken Ka’ra meant stars in Mando’a. 

“Don’t cry, Obi!” Quinlan sounded horrified. “If you don’t like it we can always…” 

“I think she likes it too much Quinlan.” Feemor interrupted. 

“Do you want me to put it in your hair, Obi-wan?” Xanatos offered. 

Obi-wan nodded. “Yes please.” 

She turned her head so Xanatos had access to her hair. He twisted a section of her messy red curls and clipped her hair back. 

Obi-wan turned back around with a smile. “Thank you, Quinlan. Thank you, Bruck.” 

“Oh, now you say it right.” Bruck teased her gently. 

Obi-wan stuck out her tongue at him. 

“Obi-wan,” Feemor warned sternly. 

“Sorry.” Obi-wan turned to Quinlan’s other gift. She opened it to see a bracelet similar to Bruck’s. This one was not as skillfully done. It was a simple braid made with several strands woven together. The colors were yellow beads and red and brown thread. 

“My planet doesn’t have anything like Bruck’s unless you want a tattoo and I don’t think Master Tern would like that. Bruck let me do the same thing as him.” Quinlan explained while he tied the bracelet on her right wrist alongside Bruck’s. “But, as soon as you are old enough, we are going to get those marks.” 

Obi-wan smiled. “Okay.” 

Xanatos pushed over the biggest box there. “Here you go Obi-wan.” 

She opened it and gasped. It was a blanket. She felt the material. It was the softest she had ever felt. 

“I know it’s kind of big but you will grow into it.” Xanatos lifted it from the box. “I remember how cold it was sometimes in the creche.” 

It was a rich blue and had stars stitched on the blanket in gold. The stars were five-pointed and were layered on top of each other. One was bigger than the other and the points were in between the first star’s points. This pattern repeated itself over the whole blanket. 

Obi-wan clutched it to her chest. Maybe she was changing things? Here was her old tormentor in another life, gifting her a blanket, because he was worried she would get cold in the creche. 

Obi-wan gave it one more hug before letting Xanatos fold it and put it back in the box. 

Feemor pushed over a medium-sized box. “Here you go, little one. We might not always be here at the temple with you but know we are with you in our hearts.” 

Obi-wan opened her last present and found an Ewok-shaped plushie. It had words stitched on its tummy. 

Feemor read them out loud. “ _ Together in heart, Bruck, Feemor, Xanatos, Quinlan, and Obi-wan _ . Your name is in the middle because I don’t think anyone of us would have met and gotten along without you, Little One.” 

Obi-wan hugged the Ewok to her chest. “Thank you Feemor.” She blinked back tears. She didn’t know she was this loved. She didn’t know how they could love her. She was the failure of the Jedi. 

Quinlan sent her waves of love down their bond. 

Obi-wan sent back her own feelings of happiness. 

“Okay. I’ve got five orders of pancakes for the Jedi.” The droid came back with another carrying plates of food. 

****

Obi-wan had fun the rest of the day. After breakfast, Feemor had taken them to the museum. Quinlan had groaned but Obi-wan loved it. 

It was the same one as in her other life but some exhibits were missing from the rooms and others she had never seen before took their place. 

They explored the museum until mid-morning and then Feemor had taken them to a park to walk. 

Obi-wan bounced from flower to plant as she inspected them for bugs. It was nice to be with Quinlan and Bruck in a garden again. 

Obi-wan shrieked when she saw a snake roll past her foot. Her friends came running and laughed when she pointed out the huge to her reptile.

“It’s just a harmless garden snake, Obi. It won’t hurt you.” Quinlan assured. 

Obi-wan steered clear of any more snakes after that. She didn’t like them. 

After the park, they went for lunch at a different restaurant. Obi-wan ordered a grilled cheese sandwich while the others ordered regular sandwiches. 

They took their food back to the temple and had a picnic in the Room of A Thousand Fountains. 

They didn’t go to Xanatos’ special place. That was a space just for the three of Qui-gon’s padawans. Unknown to the others that Obi-wan technically counted in that. 

Instead, they ate by the lake with the waves lapping against the rocky shore. 

Obi-wan played in the water with her friends until Feemor called them back. 

Obi-wan had ganged up with Quinlan and Bruck to get Xanatos as wet as they could. All four of them were dripping when they came out of the water. 

Feemor laughed and shook his head. “We need to head back. Quinlan and Bruck have Navigation with Master Koon and Xanatos needs to practice his lightsaber forms. I have to prepare for a mission and you, Little One,” Feemor picked Obi-wan up despite that she was getting his robes wet. “Have a nap to take.” 

Feemor led the way back to the creche. 

Xanatos split off from them at the Padawan halls. “Happy Lifeday, Obi-wan. Hope you had a fun day.” Xanatos gave her a cautious hair ruffle before darting down the hall. 

Quinlan and Bruck were the next to leave. 

“Bye Obi!” Quinlan gave her a hug. He pulled back. “Be good and I’ll see about sneaking you some Alderaanian apple pie later.” 

Feemor shook his head. “I didn’t hear anything. Run along Quinlan. Or you’ll be late for class.” 

Bruck gave her a slow approving nod. “I’ll see you later Obi-wan. Happy Lifeday.” He turned and followed Quinlan down the Initiate hallway. 

It was just Feemor and her when they entered the nursery. 

Master Tern gave an exasperated sigh when he saw her dripping wet. “I take it you have fun Youngling?” He took her from Feemor. 

Obi-wan nodded. “Lots of fun.” 

Master Tern dried her off and Obi-wan got dressed in a new set of robes. Master Tern admired her hair clip. “Would you like my help with your hair?” 

“Yes, Master.” Obi-wan sat patiently as Master Tern put her hair in a half-nerf tail. Her new clip secured the strands of red hair together. 

“I set your new toy and blanket on your bed. If you don’t want other kids to play with them they need to stay there.” Master Tern led her to the sleeping area where everyone else was going to sleep. 

Obi-wan laid on her side so she wouldn’t crush her new clip. 

“I’ll fix your hair when you wake up. Get some sleep Obi-wan.” Master Tern pulled her new blanket over her. 

Xanatos was right. It was big but she loved it anyway. 

Obi-wan fell asleep, clutching her Ewok toy to her chest. 

*****

Obi-wan meditated that night. She wanted to see the other half of her family. Plus… she had questions. 

*****

_ Obi-wan opened her eyes to see Master Kiwiiks, Yona, and Tarre gathering in Tarre’s salles.  _

_ “Hello there.” She made her presence known.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks smiled and gave her a hug. “Obi-wan. How was your lifeday with your friends?”  _

_ “Good. I had fun.” Obi-wan hugged the togruta back.  _

_ Yona gave her a hug too. “Present we have for you, Obi-wan. Celebrate your lifeday we wish.”  _

_ Tarre stepped in and gave her a tight hug that lasted for a good minute. “It’s good to see you Ob’ika. Happy Lifeday.”  _

_ “You guys didn’t have to get me anything. It’s just a lifeday.” Obi-wan protested.  _

_ “Nonsense. Work on this we all did. Follow us you will.” Yona led the way from the room and down the hall.  _

_ At the room right next to Tarre’s she stopped.  _

_ “Your rooms, these are.” Yona gestured for her to step through first.  _

_ Obi-wan pushed open the door. She gasped in wonder.  _

_ Stars twinkled on the ceiling in likeness to the Halls of the Ka’ra. A training mat was over in the corner and tapestries hung on the wall. A metal symbol of the Jedi combined with a mythosaur was hanging in the middle of the tapestries. What gave off light was a combination of the flowers from Master Kiwiiks and the fungi from Master Yona’s rooms. A little reading nook was set up with comfortable-looking pillows. Bookshelves were on the walls in the nook. A mediation mat was spread out underneath an overhang of flowers mixed in with the fungi. She spotted her basket of needlework and the blue fabric tucked in by her pillow.  _

_ “I love it.” She moved closer to the tapestries. They showed scenes of her life. From her defeating Darth Maul to her saving children on Melida/Daan it was all there.  _

_ “Jaster did the tapestries. Master Kiwiiks and Yona did the reading nook and the lighting. I did your training area.” Tarre explained.  _

_ “I love it.” She repeated. “I have questions though. I am getting attention from Mandalorians in my time. Someone was asking for me to the council and I think some were following us today when we were out of the temple. Do you know anything about that?”  _

_ Tarre motioned for her to sit in her reading nook while Tarre made a few more pillows appear. They all sat down in the seats.  _

_ “I have said Jaster in your time is remembering.” Tarre began. “He is remembering Jaster of this time watching your life. So all that Jaster knows is that he is dreaming about a precocious little red-headed girl in her daily life.”  _

_ “Oh, jeez. How did this happen?” Obi-wan sighed. That was a complication she did not need. The current Mand’alor looking to adopt her.  _

_ “Have you run into any Mandalorians lately?” Tarre asked curiously.  _

_ “Yes?” Obi-wan thought back to the time she snuck out of the temple and was held by a Mandalorian until Qui-gon came to get her.  _

_ “We think that he was someone close to Jaster. He must have told him about you because something happened and now Jaster is remembering you.” Tarre quickly held up his hands. “It’s just a theory.”  _

_ Obi-wan thought about that. “Is this going to happen to every Mandalorian I meet?” Her mind went to Jango. If Jango started remembering her, would he hate her as this Jango does?  _

_ “We don’t know.” Master Kiwiiks cut in. “We don’t know why this is happening. Just be on the lookout. If you see anything suspicious, tell us and we will help you. ”  _

_ “Agree with Master Kiwiiks I do. Not alone you are Obi-wan.” Yona patted her knee. “Leave us Tarre will. Work us girls have to do.”  _

_ Tarre held his hands up in surrender. “I know when I am not wanted. I will see you later Ob’ika. Happy lifeday, ner ad.” Tarre shimmered and vanished.  _

_ Obi-wan pulled out her needlework as she chatted with Master Yona and Master Kiwiiks. Master Yona taught her how to outline things next and Obi-wan set to work, trying to keep her stitches small and even.  _

_ Master Kiwiiks asked her if she could do her hair. She had been practicing on another Jedi and wanted to see how it would look on Obi-wan. Obi-wan agreed and she relaxed when the togruta’s fingers combed through her red locks.  _

_ Obi-wan spent a good few hours with Master Kiwiiks and Yona before leaving to sleep. In all, it was a good lifeday celebration.  _

_ **** _

Obi-wan woke up to her actual lifeday and was surprised with her favorite breakfast. Cooked oats and spiced Alderaanian apples. 

The other kids celebrated with her. There were no more presents and, honestly, she wasn’t expecting any. She did get a few pictures drawn for her from the normal toddlers that she built towers for. 

The twi’lek and the rodian gifted her with pictures proudly. Obi-wan thanked them and pinned them to the wall by her bed. They were little more than scribbles but she appreciated them all the same. 

Lunch came around and they were brought cake. Small pieces otherwise Master Tern would have his hands full with ten toddlers on a sugar high. 

Obi-wan played the rest of the day. 

In hide-in-seek, she practiced her ‘don’t see me. I’m not here’ trick. She won quite a lot. The only one who seemed to catch her was the twi’lek who she played blocks with. Now that was interesting. 

Obi-wan was tired by bedtime. She thought about her rooms that the others put together for her. It was her space and each member spent time putting pieces in it. 

She thought about Jaster. How was he remembering her? Was the Mandalorian she came across before, really close to Jaster? Why did he tell him about her? Why was the freaking Mand’alor asking about her? It was way too soon to deal with Mandalore. She was only three years old for Force’s sake. They needed to back off. She couldn’t help until she was a Padawan at the earliest. 

Obi-wan rolled over in bed and studied the plush Ewok that Feemor got for her. Stitched across its bare tummy in Aurebesh were the words, ‘Together in heart,’ and the names of each person she managed to save from their fates surrounding her own. 

She traced the name of Xanatos as she pulled her new blanket higher on her body. 

He was changed so much. Was… was he like Anakin and thought that everyone hated him? Was something so simple as having friends big enough to save him from going to the Darkside? 

Her small fingers moved onto Quinlan. He still went back to his planet for part of the year. His parents could die while he was there and she would be too far away to help. Did she really improve the situation? 

Then they went over Bruck’s name. Her once bully turned friend. Was she enough to stop him from going to the Darkside too? Could she get him an apprenticeship with a good master for him? Not Qui-gon. But someone else? 

That was something she needed to work on. Another long-term project. Putting together a list of possible masters and gently nudging Bruck towards them. 

Her hands moved over to Feemor. 

Was he really happy? She knew that his bond with Master Qui-gon was nearly gone. One of them was stubbornly holding on to it. She had a bad feeling she knew who. She couldn’t hold it against Feemor. She too was his padawan and she too knew exactly how he felt. Until she managed to work through her own feelings, she had no room or right to help Feemor. 

She could see he was happier with her and Xanatos. The older boy and Obi-wan really made him happy. He still had that perpetual sadness surrounding him, but it lifted when he was near them. If Feemor had a…

Obi-wan slapped the bed excitedly. She knew just who to pair up Bruck with! It was brilliant! 

Obi-wan held back her relived laughs. If all else failed, Knight Feemor could take Bruck on as his padawan. 

It was a last resort option though. If no one else would take him, and Obi-wan would make damn sure that Bruck was a good option for a padawan, then Knight Feemor would. There was no way Feemor would let their little family break up. 

Obi-wan settled back in her bed feeling a little lighter. She contemplated meditating again. She had that tapestry to work on. 

Jaster was quite skilled if he could make all those tapestries and have them look so good. 

A thought hit her before she fell asleep. If all of them made something for her rooms… what did Jango make? 


	10. Chapter Nine - Trouble In Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy it. *Cue evil laughter*

Obi-wan was now five years old. She was starting out in classes for real this time. She had worked with Bruck over the two years since she had discovered her plan. 

Bruck wasn't quite Padawan age yet but he was close. Bruck was eight, three years older than her, and Quinlan was nine, four years older than her. 

Xanatos was about a year away from his knight trials if Qui-gon would actually submit him for them instead of doing what he had done to both Obi-wan and Feemor. If that happened, Obi-wan swore that she would reign down terror on Qui-gon Jinn. 

Obi-wan had put together a list in her head of good masters for Bruck and herself. 

Knight Saan was at the top of her list for herself but she didn’t dare dream she would be his Padawan. It was unthinkable. There got along perfectly and there was no way he would want to be her master.

She hadn’t heard anything more on any Mandalorians asking about her. Either the council kept it under wraps or the Mandalorians stopped asking. 

She snorted. Yeah right. A Mandalorian? Give up? That was wishful thinking. The council was obviously handling it. 

Speaking of Mandalorians, she hadn’t seen ghost Jango since that time she looked into the fires. She had tried asking about him but Jaster was evasive. She asked Tarre and he explained that where Jango was, he was ‘unreachable’. 

He had been that way for two years now. She still didn’t know what he made for her rooms and if anyone else did, they weren’t telling her. 

She kept her rooms neat and every time she was there she would carefully clean the metal Jedi symbol entwined with the mythosaur skull. A sign of her people. 

Five years into the second chance and she finally admitted it to herself but never out loud. She was Mandalorian. She had been adopted by the best Mandalorian Jedi and claimed as a Mandalorian. She doubted she would ever wear armor and that she would ever be involved in their council business as she was not a Mand’alor. But the Ka’ra made her one of their people and she accepted that fact. 

Her schooling was about to start. Her first class was soon and Obi-wan was laying in her new bed in a room with four other younglings. 

She recognized none of them. She knew their names and species though. 

Auri was a female Twi’lek with green skin and brown eyes. Auri seemed nervous. She had been brought to the temple in the last few months. Obi-wan didn’t know her beginnings but she was very wary about new people. Auri was her species equivalent of five years old. 

Nseju was another Twi’lek that was brought into the creche. He was here a little longer than Auri. Nseju had blue skin and blue eyes. He was maybe six years old? He was starting school with them a little behind everyone else. 

A yellow-tinged Rodian was the third member of their clan group. Koobis was one that grew up with Obi-wan. He had come in when Obi-wan was three. He too was five. 

The last one besides Obi-wan was a human boy with the name of Kalen. Kalen was only just now joining everyone at the temple. The five-year-old had black hair and green eyes and dark skin like Mace Windu. A rare combination like her own red hair and blue eyes. 

Obi-wan had woken early, wanting to get a good start to the day. She knew she would be bored stiff by lunch but she was excited. She was now Initiate Kenobi. She would soon, if she was lucky, be a padawan and then a knight, and then she would have her rank as Master back. 

Obi-wan reigned in her thoughts. She couldn’t get cocky. Arrogance was not the Jedi way. She might not get chosen as a Padawan like what happened before. She would then be solely a Mandalorian. If she could prove herself to Jaster again. She refused to join Death Watch and over her dead body would she join with Satine. She made a good friend but Obi-wan had different views on Mandalore now. 

Satine had radical views and beliefs and most of the Mand’alor’e in the Ka’ra was against her and her ‘cultural genocide’. 

Obi-wan had a feeling the Duchess would never be in the Halls of the Ka’ra unless it was to look into the fires. Obi-wan pictured Jango’s victorious smirk as the ghost of Satine exploded and was consumed by the fire. 

Obi-wan rolled over in her bed and stared out into the room. The sun wasn’t even up. Darkness covered the corners of the room and a single light lit it up for the younglings.

Obi-wan decided on a quick meditation to see her family before she headed for her first day of classes. She closed her eyes and easily slipped into her second home. 

*****

_Obi-wan found herself in the Halls of the Ka’ra. There were maybe ten people in the room. They sat around one of the tables talking about something serious._

_“... don’t know exactly where he is but he needs back up.” Someone was insisting. “It’s been too long without a check-in. He could be in danger.”_

_“He’s a ghost.” Another pointed out. “He’s already dead.”_

_“No!” One of them pounded his fist on the tabletop._

_She saw it was Jaster. He looked distraught for a ghost. He looked pale and had wariness and worry etched in his image._

_“Tarre? Can’t you do anything? This is my… Ob’ika?” Jaster spotted her._

_“Sorry. You’re busy. I didn’t mean to drop in. I’ll just…” Obi-wan focused on Master Kiwiiks presence but Tarre held out his hand to stop her._

_“Obi-wan was there something you needed?” Tarre sounded exhausted._

_“It can wait. It’s a stupid thing anyway. I’ll just…” Obi-wan tried to leave again but Tarre stopped her with a warm look._

_“Nothing is stupid, Ob’ika.” Tarre smiled. He still looked exhausted but had a pleased grin on his face._

_“Except Mand’alor Skinae.” One Mand’alor snickered and the sound of metal hitting metal echoed in the room._

_Tarre didn’t even blink. He just stared at Obi-wan with the same ‘happy to see you’ look._

_Obi-wan bit her lip. What she wanted seemed childish and stupid now that she was actually here._

_Tarre didn’t judge her though. He knew everything she did in another life and he was still her family. He still wanted her as his daughter._

_Obi-wan breathed out a huge gush of air. “I don’t know if you have been watching but today is my first day of classes and..” She shrugged as her kid-like request was made known._

_Tarre got a regretful look on his face. “I’m sorry Ob’ika. I have only been able to see snatches because something major is happening right now. Congratulations on your first day of classes. I know you have been looking forward to them.”_

_Obi-wan ignored the end of his words as what he said first hit her. “Something is wrong? Is that why I haven’t seen…” She trailed off as Jaster seemed to fold in on himself as much as a Mandalorian would allow. “What’s wrong and how can I help?”_

_Tarre shook his head. “There is nothing you can do currently for us, Ob’ika. We can handle this. You have hundreds of trained warriors in this hall alone. That’s not to mention the other part of our family. We have this under control.”_

_A snort from one Mand’alor seated at the table was not very reassuring._

_Obi-wan narrowed her eyes. This problem involved the Jedi and the Mandalorians? Obi-wan would get to the bottom of this._

_“I have to go. Classes should be starting soon.”_

_Tarre sighed like he was relieved she had dropped the subject._

_Obi-wan nearly snorted. He didn’t know her at all then. She wasn’t going to drop this. Not at all. She would get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she did._

_Obi-wan shimmered and vanished in a wisp of blue._

_“You know she isn’t going to drop this until she knows what’s going on,” Jaster stated._

_Tarre sighed. “We can always dream.”_

_Jaster snorted. “She is about at stubborn as my Jan’ika. No. She’s not giving up. She’s just retreating for the moment.”_

_Tarre groaned. “Stubborn Jedi.”_

_“You wouldn’t have her any other way, Tarre. Now, back to our issue…”_

_*****_

Obi-wan cracked open her eyes to see four pairs of various eye color and shape staring at her. She nearly fell back on her bed in shock. 

“Um… can I help you?” Obi-wan blinked at her audience. 

Koobis said something in Rodese. Obi-wan’s Rodese was kind of rusty but she gathered he was asking what she was doing. 

“I was meditating.” Obi-wan got down from her bed. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the fresher. 

“Like an actual Jedi Knight?” Kalen spoke up. He sounded awed. 

Auri scoffed. “She’s not a knight. She’s an initiate like us.” 

Koobis spoke in her defense. Obi-wan didn’t know if the others spoke his language or not. 

She caught a glimpse of Auri’s disdainful look and Kalen’s confused look. Nseju just sat on his bed kicking his heels against the mattress. 

Obi-wan paused with her hand on the fresher door. “Actual Koobis, I’ve been here since I was a little baby. I’ve been in the nursery all my life. I don’t know anything else.” 

Koobis beamed and began talking to her quickly in Rodese. Obi-wan felt she caught most of it but he was talking too fast for her to get some words. “I’ve always spoken Rodese.” 

Koobis frowned. He opened his mouth to speak again but Nseju interrupted. 

“If we don’t hurry we are going to be late. I heard that if you are late, they put you in the archives with Master Nu and she is a witch.” The blue twi’lek seemed to be taking charge of the group. 

Obi-wan pushed her way into the fresher hiding a smile. Oh, the imagination of children was amazing. 

That made everyone hurry to get ready to go. Auri switched places with Obi-wan in the fresher and Kalen changed in the closet. 

Obi-wan tied her hair back in a nerf tail and clipped her favorite hair clip into her bangs. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out of her room. The other four kids were hurrying after her. 

*****

Obi-wan’s eyes glazed over as the master in charge droned on about how to add two plus two. 

She knew she was going to be bored. She just knew it. 

While the instructor talked, Obi-wan went over what she knew. 

1\. Jango was missing and hadn’t been around her for two years. Either he left on a mission two years ago and didn’t come back or… (More likely), he was ignoring her for a while and then left on a mission and never came back. 

2\. Somehow, Jaster’s memories were flowing back to his past (her present) self. She didn’t know if this was connected or not. Jaster was remembering her and if he started remembering other things… that would really mess things up. Not that she didn’t trust him, but two people who knew things and working opposite each other were bound to cause issues. 

3\. This all had something to do with both the Jedi and the Mandalorians. Something was happening that was causing her family to unite. Something so major that Mandalorians were putting aside their hatred for the Jedi and were actually working together. 

4\. Tarre looked exhausted so he was working super hard on this. 

She didn’t like where her list was leading her. If Tarre was working this hard on this problem, maybe… No. That was sheer arrogance to think the problem involved her. But it was also extreme naivety that Tarre was just exhausted from negotiations between the Jedi and the Mandalorians. 

Granted peace talks could get extremely exhausting when the parties involved don’t get along and one side carries blasters and guns while the other has lightsabers, but… 

Something big was going on in her second home and she didn’t know what. Jango was in trouble and she felt the need to find her… 

Obi-wan blinked and sat up straight. That was a dangerous road. Jango was not her anything. In fact, he would probably sneer at her thoughts and hate her even more. 

  
  


But… It was Jango. He was everything to Jaster and if she could save him… she would. 

Obi-wan sat for the rest of her math class scheming on how to dig up information on where he could be and how she could get to him. 

She only had a certain set of hours before she had to go back to this life. She had to plan. And not a Skywalker Plan. Those were insane. 

*****

Obi-wan slumped into her bed. She listened to her agemates talk about their days and Kalen finishing his homework. She glanced at the clock, impatient for them all to be in bed and asleep so she could go help her family. 

Finally… Finally, Kalen shut off the light and they all went to sleep. 

The second, Kalen’s breathing evened out, Obi-wan was gone. 

*****

_Obi-wan concentrated and showed up in her rooms. She paced across the floor thinking about her goals for the night._

  * _Find out where Jango went_



  * _Go there._



  * _Save his hide from whatever is keeping him._



  * _Come back here and hope Tarre doesn’t ground her until the next generation of Mand’alor’e arrived. (Based on what she had heard of Mand’alor Djarin, that should happen in the next twenty years? Thirty years? He wasn’t very cautious, but Force, did the other Mando’ad love him)_



_Obi-wan nodded her head. She had her list. She just needed to implement it. She needed a Mand’alor that knew of the situation and would be willing to help her get Jango back._

_She only had… Obi-wan made a timepiece appear on her wrist. Six hours here before she needed to be gone. Maybe seven._

_Obi-wan blinked and willed herself into the Halls of the Ka’ra._

_^^^^_

_Obi-wan wandered around hiding whenever the Mando she didn’t want coming down the hall._

_Finally, she spotted him. Black, gold, and scarlet armor glinted as she shadowed the Mand’alor._

_Her target kept looking over his shoulder before coming to a stop in the tapestry room._

_“I know you are there! Show yourself! Dar’jetii shabuir!” He roared as he pulled out a sword._

_Obi-wan made herself known. “Not a sith.” She put her hands up to show she had no weapons. It was worrying that he thought she was one._

_The Mandalorian quickly dropped his weapon. “Obi-wan? Tarre’s ade?”_

_“Yes.” Obi-wan stepped further into the light. “I want to help. I can help.”_

_The Mando sighed. “Your Buir is going to kill me.”_

_She could sense his resolve weakening and she leaped on the chance. “I can help bring back Jango and whoever was with him. I promise. I’m not going to sit around while my family is in danger.”_

_The Mando rubbed his hand across his helmet. “Fine. But… if your Buir finds out I told you this I will deny it until the fires consume me.”_

_Obi-wan nodded her head. “My lips are sealed.”_

_“Mand’alor Fett took a squad and went to go investigate rumors of dar’jetii trying to revive themselves.” The Mando in front of her raised his hands. “Against my wishes, they went. They were supposed to check in a month ago but they haven’t. I will show you where they were supposed to be and you can go from there.”_

_The Mando touched her forehead and they vanished._

_Obi-wan found herself standing in an icy hideout. Snow and ice caked the walls and grey rock shone through in places._

_“This was their hideout.” The Mando moved his helmet to look to the left. “Entrance is that way. Good luck and Obi-wan? May the Force and the Ka’ra be with you.” The Mando left as quickly as he arrived. Like he didn’t want to be here any longer._

_Obi-wan studied the room around her. There were things spread out in messy piles. She noticed that the snow had melted in spots and that there seemed to be signs of a struggle. A struggle with lightsabers. Red lightsabers she bet._

_Obi-wan glanced at her timepiece. Five and a half hours at best. She needed to get a move on._

_Obi-wan followed the signs of destruction to the right until she came across a door. She shrugged. Nothing else to do but to… Obi-wan opened the door and stepped through._

_The hall was silent, cold, and metal. Like a spaceship. She looked to the right and the left. She didn’t have much time. What way did she go?_

_Something seemed to call her attention to the right. It sounded familiar and warm. It welcomed her with love and yearning._

_Was… was that the Ka’ra that the Mandalorians kept talking about?_

_Obi-wan closed her eyes and followed the feeling to the right, then halfway down another hall, and then left._

_She opened her eyes to see bars lining rooms. Mandalorians were trapped inside. About twenty of them. She didn’t see Jango’s familiar blue armor._

_They stared back at her when she stepped forward._

_“Dar’jetii.” One hissed._

_“I’m not a sith!” She whispered harshly. “And quiet or you will make whoever captured you come here. I’m one of you.”_

_The Mand’alor scoffed. “Where’s your armor, Mand’alor…”_

_Obi-wan rolled her eyes. “I’m not that kind of Mandalorian. I’m like Tarre Vizsla.”_

_That made the Mandalorians widened their eyes._

_“You are Obi-wan Kenobi? The Bane of Jango’s existence?” The Mandalorian looked her over._

_Obi-wan tried to not let the hurt show on her face. Was that what Jango thought of her? An enemy? To exist just to hurt him?_

_“I thought you would be... taller.” The Mandalorian quipped._

_Obi-wan rolled her eyes. “You should have seen Luke. Come on. Enough small talk. I’m busting you out.”_

_Obi-wan studied the locks on the doors and realized you had to be force sensitive to open them._

_“It’s no use. We’ve already tried everything.” A teal, yellow and purple Mandalorian called out to her tugging on the bars._

_“Not everything.” Obi-wan carefully manipulated the force to unlock all the doors at once. Instantly alarms blared. “Go! Get out of here!”_

_One by one the Mandalorians vanished into thin air._

_Obi-wan frantically searched for familiar blue and silver._

_“They kept him separate. Down that way. We… we could hear screaming sometimes.” The teal Mandalorian laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m coming with you.”_

_“No! You need the force to free him and I won’t have anyone stay behind to be captured again.” Obi-wan took off down the hall with the armored Mandalorian on her heels._

_“Tough.” The Mandalorian called back. “We don’t leave anyone behind.”_

_Obi-wan burst into the room and what she saw made her want to be sick. Jango’s form was shackled to a wall. He was extremely pale and his light was almost dim. She scowled. “What did they do to you?”_

_She quickly used the Force to free him from the chains. She kicked them away with a fierce glare._

_Jango groaned and looked up blearily. “Mesh… mesh’la.”_

_Obi-wan didn’t know what he was calling beautiful. “Come on. I’m busting you out of here.” Obi-wan helped him to his feet. “Can you do the teleport thing?”_

_Jango shook his head as if to clear it. He looked exactly like he had been chained to a wall for two months. Smelled like it too._

_“Ob’ika?” Jango didn’t look well. He wasn’t well. Because of the amount of affection in that name… he had to be delirious._

_Obi-wan shot a look over at the teal Mand’alor. “Can you get us back? I don’t know how to transport another person yet.”_

_The Mandalorian nodded. “I can only do one though.”_

_“Take him.” Obi-wan gently shoved Jango into their grip._

_They nodded and vanished with Jango into a blue wisp._

_“So that’s what that looks like.” Obi-wan moved over to a computer port and began downloading the information on it onto a small data chip she made appear._

_She ducked under the table as a roar of rage echoed down the hall. Footsteps came running and a blurry form burst into the room._

_A chair was kicked into the wall next to her. Obi-wan flinched._

_“I’m sorry sir. I don’t know how it happened.” A voice was pleaded desperately._

_“Don’t know how it happened?” A familiar voice made all the blood in Obi-wan turn to ice. She knew who that was._

_“Someone broke them out!” The voice screamed in rage. “We have a traitor! Find them! Before I do!”_

_“Yes, your Excellency.” Footsteps raced from the room._

_“I will find out how they did it. I will find out who is changing my past.” The voice snarled. Another chair was kicked towards her. “And they will pay!”_

_Obi-wan was suddenly alone in the room. She gripped her knees to her chest and breathed harshly. Oh, this was so not good._

_Obi-wan grabbed her data chip and vanished from the room back to her home._

_^^^^_

_Obi-wan was assaulted the moment she arrived back in the Halls of the Ka’ra. The familiar black and red armor was wrapped around her._

_“Ob’ika! Are you okay? Thank you for saving them.”_

_It was impressive that Jaster got to her before Tarre did._

_Then again, Tarre was staring at her with an angry frown on his face. His arms were crossed over his chest._

_Obi-wan was nervous. She hoped she didn’t show it. “Hi, buir.” She hoped the Mando’a word would soften him._

_“Hi, buir?” Tarre repeated calmly. “That’s all you have to say? You go and find them after I told you not to. That it was too…” Tarre’s face fell and he pulled her away from Jaster and into his arms. “I’m glad you are okay, Ob’ika.”_

_Obi-wan shuddered. Who was after her, was not a good guy. She was in danger. She was scared too. What if he started remembering?_

_Tarre’s arms tightened around her. “Shh. It’s alright Ob’ika. We’ll protect you. I’ve got you.”_

_Obi-wan let Tarre’s words soothe her. “Buir? Here.” She dropped the data chip into his hands. “I got their files. Most of them at least. Buir? It’s… it’s not good.”_

_Tarre pulled back and looked at the data chip. “I’ll have some slicers look at it. How are you, Ob’ika?”_

_Obi-wan was aware of their audience. About thirty Mandos were milling around the room. Some were greeting others by forearm clasps or rough backslaps. There was laughter and cheers as Mandalorians greeted each other._

_She pulled back. “I’m fine.” Obi-wan straightened her shoulders. “How is…”_

_“Jango will be alright. He needs a little top up and he will be right back to blaster training and sparring with the others.” Jaster cut in._

_“Top-up?” Obi-wan frowned._

_Jaster motioned to the middle of the room. Jango lay still near the fire pit. “He’ll be fine. The Ka’ra will heal him soon enough.”_

_Obi-wan could see the flames leaning towards Jango and softly brushing his side. He wasn’t burning. “Okay… that’s a little… weird.”_

_“People with Mandokarla can survive the flames. The Ka’ra won’t hurt them.” Tarre explained._

_Obi-wan edged a little closer. Jango was still alive. His light seemed to be getting brighter._

_“Don’t worry. Your Cya-” A Mandalorian called._

_Obi-wan’s timepiece beeped. “I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll be back though.”_

_Obi-wan blinked out before anyone else could speak. What was that Mando going to say?_


	11. Chapter Ten - Remembrances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to CreepyCrepeQueen for the motivation and inspiration to keep this going. You and your amazing typo got me going again. I'm not making fun of you. It truly made my day. You will see what I'm talking about in the next chapter. For now, enjoy a special gift given and a surprise POV. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Obi-wan blinked back to the living. She was her five-year-old self. The sun was just starting to come up. She was exhausted but worried. Was Jango really going to be okay? If he was there overnight, who was going to take care of him? 

_ “You are Obi-wan Kenobi? The Bane of Jango’s existence?”  _

The words echoed back to her. Obi-wan knew they were true. Jango hated her. If he was complaining to his fellow Mand’alor’e about her… then he really did hate her. She was his greatest enemy. No even that was thinking way too highly of herself. 

The ‘bane of Jango’s existence’ didn’t leave many options though. All she knew was that he hated her. And wouldn’t appreciate her concern over him. 

In all, being worried and exhausted made for a stressed combination throughout the day. She completed her schoolwork with half a mind. She didn’t know if she purposely got some wrong or not. 

All her focus was on a certain Mand’alor currently being healed by a magic sentient fire in the afterlife. 

Obi-wan was sorely tempted to slip in to see him when her meditation class came up. The risks of being interrupted were too great to actually go see him. 

Obi-wan suffered through that class and then her navigation class and then lunch and then the rest of her classes. 

Her agemates left her alone. Well, all but Koobis. She was distracted yes, but not too distracted for a sort of friend. She chatted with him, helping him with his basic while the others did their homework and had free time. 

Obi-wan stood up abruptly. She couldn’t wait any longer. Obi-wan left the room where the rest of her clan was playing. 

Obi-wan snuck around until she found an empty meditation room. She stretched up on her tiptoes and locked the door as best as she could. She didn’t want anyone to find her. 

Obi-wan settled on a pillow and sunk into the Force. 

****

_ Obi-wan found herself in the Halls. Jaster was seated at a table talking with Tarre.  _

_ Obi-wan scooted by them and ignored their stares and greetings. She had to see. She had to make sure he was alright.  _

_ The heat was blistering as she sat next to Jango and gently reached out. She hesitated for half a second before she smoothed the dark hair back from his sweaty forehead.  _

_ Jango moaned and turned his face into her hand. He didn’t wake up.  _

_ Obi-wan was frozen as she felt Jango’s breath on the bare skin of her wrist.  _

_ Jaster and Tarre were talking quietly and were ignoring her. She was grateful for that.  _

_ Obi-wan sat there as Jango slept.  _

_ Her mind went to the tapestry she finished about a year and a half ago. It sat in her rooms in the basket that held all her supplies.  _

_ Making it was kind of fun and relaxing. She wanted to do more but didn’t know what to make. Maybe Yona or Master Kiwiiks would appreciate one.  _

_ Obi-wan jumped as a hand shot up and encircled her wrist. She looked down to see Jango’s amber eyes staring back at her. They seemed cloudy and unfocused.  _

_ “Jango?” She called. “Jango? Can you hear me?”  _

_ “Cyar’ika? Bid mesh’la.” Jango reached up and touched her hair.  _

_ Obi-wan huffed. She knew Mesh’la was beautiful but what did the other words mean. “Jango. You’re alright. I saved you. I brought you home.”  _

_ Jango’s eyes cleared and his hand was pulled sharply from her face. He tried to sit up.  _

_ “Whoa.” Obi-wan pressed her hands against his back to help him. “Okay.”  _

_ Once Jango was sitting, his face was closed off and was red from the heat of the fire.  _

_ “Are you alright to stand?” Obi-wan stood up and held out her hand to him.  _

_ Jango stared at it for half a minute before slowly pressing his palm to hers. Obi-wan used all her strength to heave Jango to his feet.  _

_ “You could help, you know!” She snapped at him.  _

_ Jango’s lip curled and he suddenly became easier to move. Jango moved over to the table where Jaster and Tarre were sitting.  _

_ Jaster smirked and said something to Tarre who responded in a slow teasing tone.  _

_ Obi-wan wished she knew Mando’a because Jango turned bright red and wouldn’t meet their eyes.  _

_ Jaster teased him again and said the same words that Jango spoke to her.  _

_ “Enough Buir!” Jango yelled out.  _

_ Obi-wan jumped.  _

_ Jango winced. “I need to tell you what I learned.”  _

_ Tarre and Jaster immediately became serious.  _

_ “We know Jan’ika.” Jaster soothed. “We saw it all. Obi-wan brought us a data chip that has almost all their plans on it.”  _

_ “I’m very curious to hear about these plans.” Obi-wan put in.  _

_ “Not right now, Ob’ika. You have other things to worry about.” Tarre turned the conversation to something else. “How is your secret project that you won’t let any of us see?”  _

_ Obi-wan felt her cheeks heat. “It’s been finished for a while.” She answered vaguely. “And besides, Master Kiwiiks and Yona know and have seen it so really it’s only…”  _

_ “Mandalorians you won’t let see.” Jango finished. He sounded flat. Like there was no tone to be had with his words.  _

_ Obi-wan huffed a breath. They were pushing her and her temper rose. “You want to see it? Then fine.” She made her tapestry appear.  _

_ The rich blue fabric the color of Jango’s armor appeared on the table. The stitch work shone sharply in silver and grey against the blue. The chains were done in a dingy gray that shattered and slowly became a solid silver heart. You could see where the pieces of the chains were that formed the beskar heart.  _

_ She shoved it at Jango and didn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “Here. I’m leaving.” Obi-wan stood up.  _

_ “Obi-wan?” Jango called.  _

_ A hand gripped her wrist softly. She refused to meet the owner’s eyes. A finger stroked once over her hand.  _

_ Where was the man who hated her? What was going on?  _

_ Obi-wan couldn’t handle anymore and vanished from under Jango’s soft grip.  _

_ **** _

_ Jango stared after Obi-wan as she vanished into a blue wisp. He looked back down at the tapestry she had made. She must have done the stitch work herself because some of them were uneven and messy.  _

_ “Well. That was unexpected.” Jaster spoke up. “I didn’t know she was doing that.”  _

_ Tarre just looked over at Jango’s new gift. “Who showed her the Halls?”  _

_ “I did,” Jaster told him. Jango’s buir looked down at the work. His eyes widened. He whistled lowly. “Well, Tarre. Looks like you and I might be family soon after all.”  _

_ Jango scowled. “Shut it Buir. It’s not going to happen. She’s a di’kut jetii.”  _

_ “I’m a Jedi too, do you hate me?” Tarre pointed out. “You need to let go of your…” Tarre paused with his eyes suddenly lighting up. “You know there is a fine line between hate and love.”  _

_ Jango glared at the old meddling Jedi. “Leave it.” He snapped.  _

_ “All I’m saying is… she obviously thinks highly of you.” Tarre tapped the center of the tapestry. “If this is your greatest deed that she sees then…”  _

_ Jango stood up quickly. “I’m leaving.”  _

_ Jango faltered as he heard Jaster and Tarre’s continued conversation.  _

_ “Does she know what Jango made her?” Jaster’s tone was curious.  _

_ “No.” Tarre paused. “I figured it was best for her to either figure it out or have him tell her.”  _

_ Jango passed the halls as Jaster let out a scoff. “Di’kute. They are both-”  _

_ Jango was too far to hear anymore. He wondered when the utreekov Jetii would get what he made for her.  _

_ He touched the soft fabric the same blue as his armor. Did she even know what these colors mean? Did she even know what giving this to him meant?  _

_ Jango snorted. She probably didn’t know that they just willed all those tapestries like that. Already made. That’s how they got the complicated design. Sure some did it for fun but those in the halls and the ones in her rooms are already pre-done.  _

_ Jango entered his room and placed the tapestry on the table. He studied the design closely. Is… is that how she saw him. As someone with a beskar heart? Beskar was strong. Not even the Jedi’s swords could cut the metal.  _

_ Did…? Did she really see him as strong?  _

_ Jango didn’t know and he was too worried to ask. What if her answer was no? Jango set aside the tapestry. He could use a spar. He headed for the training rooms, trying to push all thoughts of a stubborn red-headed Jedi out of his mind.  _

_ ***** _

Obi-wan was troubled. What did Jango mean by all that? What did he think of her work? Did he like it? Kark Tarre and Jaster for pushing her on revealing it. 

Obi-wan carefully unlocked the door to her meditation room, sure that she would be caught and in trouble. Nobody was out there and Obi-wan made it back to her clan with little fuss. 

Koobis had asked where she was and when she said meditating, Auri scoffed. 

Obi-wan felt like she had lived this before. Except Siri Tachi was the instigator the first time around. Now, it was Auri. 

Obi-wan knew she couldn’t do anything about it. If Auri wanted to be jealous then let her. Obi-wan wasn’t going to play into it. 

Obi-wan completed her homework in record time. She purposely got about one in five questions wrong. Her handwriting was as neat as always and she briefly wondered if she should write differently too. 

Obi-wan settled on her bed while her agemates played out in the main room. She pulled out the Toydarian puzzle ball that she was close to cracking. She hadn’t completed it yet because of all the training of her force skills. 

Kalen came into the room and stopped before her bed. “You have people to see you.” His green eyes were wide. “It’s a knight. He’s so nice. He showed me his lightsaber.” 

Obi-wan put away the ball and walked out into the main room. When she saw Feemor she ran right for him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Hi.” 

Feemor rested his hand on her head. “Hello. Are you free to come with me? Have you finished your homework?” 

Obi-wan nearly rolled her eyes. “I finished hours ago.” 

“Good. Come with me. Xanatos needs us.” Feemor’s words, while soft and kind made dread well up in her body. 

Obi-wan ran after Feemor as he walked briskly down the hall. 

“What’s going on?” Obi-wan called after him as she huffed for breath. 

Feemor slowed down a little. “I don’t know. I can just feel that he needs us.” Feemor entered the Room of A Thousand Fountains and walked under the hanging vines into their special place. 

Xanatos was curled up with his face pressed to his knees. His shoulders were shaking. 

“Xan?” Obi-wan was worried. She walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Xanatos gave a violent lurch. “Xan?” Obi-wan called again. What happened to Xanatos? What happened to the nice older brother he had been for the past three years?

“I don’t know what to do.” He sobbed. 

Feemor dropped down next to him. “Why don’t you try to explain the problem? Maybe we can help.” 

Xanatos shot a look at Obi-wan. 

Feemor saw it and nodded. “Obi-wan can you step outside the vines for me?” 

“No!” Obi-wan scowled. “I want to help Xan.” 

“Obi,” Feemor warned. “Xanatos doesn’t want you to hear this.” 

Obi-wan crossed her arms. “I’m staying because Xan is my brother and I want to help him.” 

“Obi-wan.” Feemor sounded angry. 

“It’s alright. I’ll- I’ll try and make it kid-friendly.” Xanatos took a deep breath. “I-I’ve been having dreams. I’m a Darksider and I don’t have you or Obi-wan. I dreamt that during my trials I went to the Darkside and my family was killed. My… My sister was in a riot, and my master killed my father.” 

With every word he spoke, Obi-wan felt horror rising up. He was remembering. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was not good. 

“And then there are worse dreams. Dreams where I hurt Obi. I would never do that! Obi, I swear I would never hurt you but, me in the dreams, he relished in it. I don’t know what to do.” Xanatos looked up at Feemor desperately. “Are these visions or…? I don’t want to be a Darksider.” 

“Then you won’t be,” Feemor said simply. “If you start to feel like you are falling, remember your family. Me and Obi. Quinlan and Bruck. Any of your friends. You are not alone Xanatos. You have people who love you and want you.” 

Obi-wan inched closer. “Xan?” Obi-wan threw her arms around the shaking Padawan. “I love you. Please don’t fall. Feemor can help you with your dreams. Right?” Obi-wan opened her blue eyes wide and pleaded with Feemor. “You can work on your shields together.” 

There was a knock on a tree trunk nearby.

“Knock knock.” Quinlan’s cheery voice rang out. “We brought food for dinner.” 

Bruck and Quinlan were both waiting patiently outside the vines. 

Feemor looked over at Xanatos. “What do you say to a picnic dinner with your family?” 

Xanatos gave a watery laugh. “I always end up soaking wet after our picnics.” 

“That’s your fault for challenging Quinlan. You know he won’t back down.” Feemor knocked his knuckles lightly across Xanatos’ head. “Come on padawan. Let’s eat.” 

Obi-wan beamed and was the first one out of the vines. “Lan! Bru!” Obi-wan threw herself at her friends. 

“Obi!” Quinlan caught her. “We brought you a surprise for starting your classes.” 

Obi-wan smiled. “What is it?” 

“You have to guess.” Quinlan laughed. 

Xanatos and Feemor crawled out of the vines. 

“Bru?” Obi-wan widened her eyes to the white-haired boy. 

The eight-year-old rolled his own set of ice-blue eyes. “I not telling you Obi. Those eyes do not work on me.” 

Obi-wan decided to let it go. “Where are we eating tonight?” 

“Under that tree.” Quinlan pointed to a huge tree nearby that had a blanket spread haphazardly underneath its branches. “We decided-” 

Bruck cleared his throat pointedly. 

“Okay.  _ Bruck _ chose the place because he didn’t want to play in the lake tonight.” The nine-year-old kiffar smirked. 

Obi-wan took off for the spot. “Loser has to clean up afterward!” She called when she was halfway there. 

“No fair!” Quinlan raced after her. “Cheater!” 

Quinlan had longer legs so he quickly overtook her. Obi-wan smirked and used the Force to cross the last couple of yards in seconds. 

Quinlan’s jaw dropped when he saw her zip by and beat him to the blanket. “Okay. That’s not fair. You cheated.” 

Obi-wan shrugged her shoulders casually. “You didn’t set any rules.” 

Quinlan scowled. “I demand a rematch and no using the Force.” 

“After we eat.” Feemor made it to the blanket with Xanatos and Bruck. “You can run all you want after dinner.” Feemor sat down and opened the container that Bruck and Quinlan carried from the mess hall. 

****

Obi-wan laid in bed feeling stuffed and sleepy after all the running and eating she did. 

Quinlan and Bruck did get her a surprise. They brought her Alderaanian apple pie. That was her favorite dessert. They managed to swipe an entire pie from the mess and shared it with everyone. 

That brought her back to Xanatos’ problem. He was remembering. That was not good. Not good at all. If he remembered and he fell, would he still hurt her? 

Obi-wan rolled over to make sure all her agemates were sleeping. They were. She laid down and slipped into meditation. She needed to get to the bottom of this. 

****

_ Obi-wan found herself in her rooms. She didn’t look around. She marched out the door and down the hall to Tarre’s rooms.  _

_ She knocked firmly and hearing his response, entered the room. She spotted Tarre sitting on a mat meditating.  _

_ She waited as patiently as she could for him to acknowledge her.  _

_ “What can I help you with Ob’ika?” Tarre unfolded his legs and sat on his heels.  _

_ “What is going on?” She demanded. “One of my friends is remembering his past life which is not supposed to happen, is it?”  _

_ Tarre calmly studied her. “We have a more solid theory on why people are remembering. You are essentially rewriting the past. That leaves a timestream out in the open. They will merge at some points. Hence Jaster and now your friend remembering. We think it will only be people you are close with. Jaster, you are close with here and this friend there. It’s complicated but that is what we think.”  _

_ Obi-wan paled. If she got closer with Jango does that mean that past Jango will hate her too? She and the order have done nothing so far to hurt him. Would he hate her based on his other self’s memories?  _

_ She couldn’t risk it. She resolved to stay as far from Jango as she could.  _

_ Tarre motioned for her to sit down. “What has been happening, Ob’ika? I haven’t been watching over you as much. Things have been happening over here.”  _

_ Obi-wan remembered the angry ghost that wanted to keep the past the same. “What’s been happening?”  _

_ “You first. What have you been up to?” Tarre listened as Obi-wan told of her picnic with her family and how she had to fake school again.  _

_ “It’s hard being an ad’ika.” Tarre reached out and touched her arm. “You can do this. We have faith in you. You are a strong person capable of achieving your goals.”  _

_ Obi-wan looked away. She blinked back tears. “How’s Jaster? Is he doing okay?”  _

_ Tarre didn’t answer her. “Obi-wan? Do you not believe in yourself?”  _

_ Obi-wan scoffed a harsh laugh. “I don’t want to talk about this.”  _

_ “Ob’ika?” Tarre pushed. “Why don’t you see yourself the way others do?”  _

_ “Because they are messed up if they think I’m anything other than a failure. I don’t know why you picked me for this but I karked up the first time around. I failed my padawan, I failed the order, I failed Luke. I could keep going.” Obi-wan burst out with all her anger.  _

_ “Obi-wan Kenobi that is enough!” Tarre’s voice boomed and echoed in the room.  _

_ Obi-wan flinched.  _

_ “You also saved a planet from blowing up and killing millions of people. You saved a planet from civil war. You cared about your troopers under you so much that they looked up to you and called you family behind your back. They called you ori’vod and vod’ika depending on how old they were. They were the first Mandalorians to accept you and if you can’t see how much people loved you and cared about you the first time then you are…” Tarre took a deep breath. “You are loved Ob’ika. Everyone you meet feels something towards you. Whether that’s love or hate or friendship, everyone feels things. You  _ **_are_ ** _ loved. You  _ **_are_ ** _ worthy of being adopted. You  _ **_are_ ** _ strong enough to fight through anything and come out on top. And you  _ **_are_ ** _ cared for.”  _

_ Obi-wan couldn’t hold them back any longer. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Tarre pulled her into his chest.  _

_ Obi-wan let the soothing sounds of Tarre’s voice calm her down. He was murmuring in Mando’a and calling her ner ad.  _

_ “What’s ner ad mean?” Obi-wan pulled back.  _

_ “It means my child.” Tarre let her go. “Do you want to learn Mando’a? I think you might just shock someone when you do speak it.”  _

_ “Sure.” Obi-wan’s mind flipped over to Jango. Maybe next time she will know what he is calling beautiful when he was near her.  _

_ ***** _

Obi-wan woke up the next day, cautious of what she had learned the night before. Would anyone else start remembering? Would Bruck remember? 

Obi-wan got dressed for her day of classes. Her stary hairclip that Quinlan and Bruck got her for her third birthday was clipped in her hair and she was dressed in the white initiate robes. 

Obi-wan left before the rest of her agemates were ready. She was one of the first to class. Obi-wan settled in her seat as the other student filed in. Obi-wan braced herself for another boring lecture on Grammar. 

While the instructor taught the class the difference between statements and questions, Obi-wan sketched ideas for her next tapestry. Maybe something with hunting for Master Kiwiiks and maybe Yona would like one of some flowers. 

After class ended Obi-wan was gathering her things. 

“Obi-wan? May I have a word?” The instructor called out from her desk.

The other kids eyed her as she headed up to the front. 

The instructor made her wait until all the kids were out of the room. Once the last kid left, the teacher pulls two papers from the pile on her desk. 

“Obi-wan? Can you explain this?” The teacher set the papers before her. One she got one hundred percent on and there were no mistakes and the other score was eighty-five. Her usual range she aimed for. 

Obi-wan paled at the sight of her perfect score. 

“You’re not in trouble young one.” The instructor’s voice was kind. “I just wanted to tell you that I put in a request for advanced testing. You obviously are smarter than we realized and I feel like I’m boring you with the lessons I teach. The other instructors agree with me.” 

Obi-wan clenched her fists behind her back. She karked up. Again. 

“Obi-wan? It’s going to be fine. I’ll put in a word with your clan leader that you are to be tested tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you.” The instructor motioned to the door. “You are free to go to your next class.” 

Obi-wan left the room. Her mind spinning. Tarre may be right on some points but he was wrong on others. She messed up and now she would be an even bigger freak and Auri would hate her even more because she was considered for advanced classes. Because she was stupid enough to not pay attention to the lectures and still get a good grade. Because she was a major failure. 

Obi-wan went about her day, carefully. She made sure to actually pay attention in class. She noticed the other teachers watching her. 

She wondered what they were thinking. Were they wondering how she could know all this stuff already? Were they thinking about how weird she was for being so ‘smart’? Obviously, she wasn’t if she could make this stupid of a mistake. 

_ “You are loved. You are worthy to be adopted. You are cared for.”  _

“Sorry, Buir,” Obi-wan muttered. “But you’re wrong.” 

Obi-wan dreaded what tomorrow would bring. How was she going to get out of this new mess? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, should I put the tag idiots to lovers on this? ;P Just curious.


	12. Chapter Eleven - Tests

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is for CreepyCrepeQueen and her typo. She sparked the inspiration for this chapter and I was originally going to go with a panda but I like this idea better. 
> 
> it's a little on the short side but I hope you guys like it. Idiots to lovers indeed. >:P

Obi-wan knew that tests came in all forms. From a test in school to a test in life, everyone had them. No matter how special you were you could not escape tests. 

She contemplated this as she stared down at the paper before her. Tests were real challenges. But the problem was, how do you go about proving that you don’t already know everything they can possibly teach you? She was five years old and just starting out. What was the balance between knowing too advanced stuff and being smarter than your average five-year-old? 

Obi-wan was supposed to be just starting her first year of schooling. Maybe skipping one or two years? No. One year was fine. 

Now… how to tell what material was what grade? 

Obi-wan knocked all the simple addition math questions like two plus two and three plus seven. She stopped when she got to the more ‘harder’ ones like thirteen plus five. She made a few ‘mistakes’ on that before giving up. 

They took that test away and the next came in. Grammar. 

Obi-wan inwardly groaned and felt the beginnings of a headache form. “This is going to take a while.” She murmured. 

*****

Four hours later and Obi-wan had an intense headache behind her eyes. Judging on when year one work switched to year two work was hard. 

Obi-wan held her hand over her eyes as she stared at the final test. Galactic History. 

“Okay. Obi-wan. That’s enough for today. Why don’t you go back to your room and rest for a bit?” The teacher stepped over to her. 

“Actually.” A voice spoke from the doorway. “I was wondering if I could steal this youngling away for a bit.” 

Her headache forgotten Obi-wan sat up quickly and turned to face the door. A smile broke out on her lips. “Knight Saan!” 

“Hello, Obi-wan. Care to join me for an adventure?” Knight Saan was leaning against the doorjamb with a grin on his face. 

Obi-wan turned pleading eyes on her clan leader. “Please Master. I’ll be back soon.” 

“She’ll be back for bedtime.” Knight Saan answered her clan leader’s unasked question. 

“Fine. But… tomorrow we are finishing the testing and you will have to do your homework.” The clan leader gave out his stipulations. 

“Yes, Master.” Obi-wan got down from the chair and ran over to him. She was careful to not touch him. 

Knight Saan reached out and measured her height against himself. The top of her head came up to his waist. “You’ve grown a bit since I last saw you.” 

“The last time you saw me, I was four. I’m five now.” Obi-wan gazed up at him as he led the way to the hangar of the temple. 

“Oh. That explains it.” Knight Saan nodded mock seriously. “I knew I was forgetting something.” 

Obi-wan stifled a laugh. 

Knight Saan jumped ahead. “Come on Obi-wan. Or we’re going to be late.” 

“Late for what?” Obi-wan hurried after him. She still had short legs for a five-year-old. 

“Fun!” Knight Saan beamed and helped her into a speeder. He climbed behind the wheel and drove the speeder out of the hangar. 

Obi-wan just now noticed what the Knight was wearing. He was dressed in a simple grey shirt and black pants. He wore boots similar to what the troopers wore when not in combat. 

Obi-wan liked riding with Knight Saan. He didn’t do any outrageous stunts to show off as Anakin did. He didn’t do any fancy flying to get where they were going quicker. 

Obi-wan watched as they dipped lower into Coruscant’s levels. “Where are we going?” 

“A festival of sorts.” Knight Saan answered back with a grin. “One of my people’s little things. You’ll like it.” 

Knight Saan drove for a few more minutes before parking in a packed structure and helping Obi-wan out. “Stay close to me. Okay, Obi-wan?” 

“Yes, Knight Saan.” Obi-wan took the offered hand. 

Knight Saan led them across a walkway and into a huge park filled with people. 

Kids ran around with balloons and toys. Parents walked behind them carrying bags and jackets. Booths lined the space and she could see rides and hear animals in the distance. The smell of fried food was in the air and the sounds were almost too much. From the dings of games and the roar of the rides to the lowing of nerfs and the cheers of the people, it was a lot. 

Obi-wan held tighter to Knight Saan’s hand. 

“What do you want to do first? They have food, rides, games, we can see the animals, we can…” Knight Saan must have seen something on her face. He gave her a considering look. “I know just the thing.” 

Knight Saan led her through the booths until they reached a quieter area. Not many kids were around and most of the people there were adults. 

Obi-wan looked at the different booths. They were products to be sold. Hawkers but not. No one was shouting for people to look at their booths and the sellers were just sitting in chairs behind their wares. 

Knight Saan slowly walked down the row of booths. Obi-wan spotted lots of things. Braided bracelets, metal necklaces, handkerchiefs, tapestries, little dolls made from wool. 

“See anything you like?” Knight Saan waved at a toy booth they just passed. 

Obi-wan shook her head and kept going. She spotted a shop for hair supplies. Not like soaps and things like that but more like hand-crafted holders and clips. Knight Saan led her over to the booth. 

Obi-wan carefully examined the different clips. She had one the represented her Mandalorian family and was given to her by two of her closest friends… but she really wanted one for the other side of her family. 

Obi-wan looked at each clip until she saw the perfect one. It was hidden away like the owner was ashamed they made it. It had bright blue gems and was shaped like a lightsaber. Granted, not the best representation because the maker most likely had never seen a Jedi’s weapon up close and personal but… it was close enough. 

Obi-wan carefully lifted it from the spot on the table and examined it. Its polished metal shone in the light. 

“Do you like that Obi-wan?” Knight Saan examined the clip. “It looks a little like a lightsaber.” 

The seller, sensing a potential buyer, hobbled over to them. “That is a very special clip.” She wheezed. 

The seller was an older woman that looked weather-worn. Like she spent hours in the sun working. She wore a dark green shawl wrapped around her shoulders and her hands were wrinkled and calloused. She used a cane to lean on. Not anything fancy like Count Dooku. It was just a simple tree branch carved into a sturdy cane. 

“How much, Ma’am?” Knight Saan lowered his head in respect. 

Obi-wan carefully copied him when it seemed like this was a cultural thing. Obi-wan peeked a look at the woman. She ducked her head back when she saw the woman looking at her with a fond look. 

“For you, fifteen credits.” The woman continued when Knight Saan began to open his mouth. “It is good to see children still being taught our ways. Fifteen credits and it’s yours for having such a polite young lady as your companion.” 

Knight Saan looked flustered but handed over the credits. “Thank you, Ma’am.” He gave a sort of head-bob at the woman. 

Obi-wan copied him again. “Thank you, Ma’am.” 

The woman smiled wistfully. “You are welcome dear one. Enjoy the fair.” 

Obi-wan put the clip on the other side of her head from her star-filled one. “Thank you Knight Saan.” Obi-wan did the little head bob thing again. 

Knight Saan just looked at her. “Where did you learn my people’s customs?” 

Obi-wan frowned. “From you just now. Did… did I not do the right thing?” 

Knight Saan stared at her for a few minutes. 

Obi-wan fiddled with her fingers uncomfortable with his attention. She spotted something and her curiosity peeked. “What’s that?” She pointed at the booth. 

It had a few kids lined up outside it and some adults. They had colorful things on their faces. From a fierce kryat dragon to a calm nerf. She spotted a tooka on one little girl while her… mother? Sister? Sported a complicated Varactyl. 

Knight Saan turned his head and smiled. “Would you like to have your face painted, Obi-wan?” 

While they waited in line, Knight Saan explained the process. Someone read who you were and gave you a design based on what they saw. The artists would then paint it on your face and later tonight, everyone with a painted face would get something. Whether that something was bad or good depended on the people who set up the event. 

Soon it was Obi-wan’s turn. She met the gaze of another old wizened woman. She ducked her head in respect and the woman chortled. 

“No, no, deary. You must look at me.” 

Obi-wan looked up and met the gaze of the old lady. Her eyes were nearly milky white. 

The old lady began drawing quickly on a piece of flimsy next to her. “A great Mythosaur. Yes. Very impressive young one… or maybe not so young… Curious.” 

Obi-wan jerked her hand back away from the woman. 

The woman just laughed it off. “Go ahead. I’ll go on and do your mentor and he’ll be with you shortly.” 

Obi-wan was ushered through the curtain. She was very uneasy about what the old woman unveiled. If she let any of her secrets spill she was in huge trouble. 

Obi-wan was seated in a chair as an artist began the outline of the Mythosaur that she was supposed to be getting. 

The tusks were done at the corners of her mouth and lines were etched across her forehead and cheeks. 

It took a while and about three minutes into the artist painting a mythosaur on her face, Knight Saan walked into the spot next to her with his own paper. 

Obi-wan sent him a question through the Force. 

Knight Saan gave her a bright grin. “I’m getting a fathier. I think I will look nice. What are you getting?” 

Obi-wan sent him an image of a mythosaur skull. 

Knight Saan faltered. “Mythosaurs are cool. Why a mythosaur though?” 

Obi-wan shrugged her shoulders and blinked at him. 

Knight Saan’s smile returned. “Who knows why that lady sees what she does.” 

Knight Saan dropped in the chair next to her while an artist came up to him and began working on the nose of the fathier. 

Obi-wan went back to her own face painting and let her mind drift as the brush tickled her face. 

****

They had a lot of fun at the festival. 

After the face painting, they were to see the animals and the various things people made to show off and get a prize for. 

Then Knight Saan bought them some game tickets and they played the games. Knight Saan swore to her that neither would use the Force to win as that would be cheating. 

Obi-wan ended up winning a little stuffed varactyl that she privately named Boga Jr. She missed the mount she had at the end of the Clone Wars but she got…

Obi-wan forced her mind from the memories of Cody and her men being wiped away. That road would only end in tears and she wanted to enjoy her time with Knight Saan. 

She didn’t know what exactly he did because he was away from the temple ninety percent of the time. He only came back to see her maybe once or twice a year. 

Obi-wan carried the stuffed toy around the rest of the place. They had meat wrapped in some kind of corn batter and fried for dinner along with a tray of cheesy tubers that they split between them. 

Then the lights came on as the daylight faded and Obi-wan felt her mouth drop open. Lights stretched across the walkways and the booths lit up with colored strings of lights and the lights on the rides blinked and flashed. Lights were everywhere. 

Knight Saan laughed. “Come on Obi-wan. Let’s get our gift and start heading back.” 

Knight Saan led her to an arena with lots of seats. They sat down among a bunch of other people that had their faces painted too. She spotted a nexu and an akk pup and a fish. There were too many to count. They all swam together. 

A man came out on a podium and began addressing the audience. Obi-wan listened to the speech intently. Knight Saan’s culture was almost as fascinating as the Mandalorians. 

Knight Saan wrinkled the feathers on her varactyl as the man talked. 

Obi-wan noticed that he seemed to be uncomfortable with the huge crowd. She sent a mental question but was blocked by impressive shields. 

Knight Saan leaned down. “I’m alright. There’s just way too many people here for my liking.” 

Obi-wan gave a slow nod. She could get that. Obi-wan reached out and gently touched his hand. She pushed her shields over him to protect him. She felt his surprise before he locked it away. 

They sat like that for the remainder of the speech. 

Everyone began gathering their things and looking under their seats. 

“I guess that’s where our prizes are.” Knight Saan bent down and grabbed two pieces of flimsy from under their chairs. 

Obi-wan pulled back on her shields as Knight Saan read the papers. 

“Hey, looks like we get free frozen ice cream from that place near the temple. Awesome.” Knight Saan began leading her back through the park towards the exit. 

When they left the hustle of the park behind and were approaching the walkway leading them back to the speeder, Knight Saan brought up a subject that she was dreading. 

“Obi-wan? Who taught you about shields? I know it’s something you learn in the creche but protecting another with your own shields is not something initiates are taught until they are padawans.” Knight Saan sounded genuinely curious. 

Obi-wan was panicking too much to notice. Her usual flirt to distract them was not going to work here. She was five for Force’s sake and… 

Soothing calm washed over her mind. Obi-wan looked up and met Knight Saan’s warm brown eyes gaze. 

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m not mad. I’m not going to tell anyone either. I’m just curious. You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.” Knight Saan rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her tiny hands. 

When did he grab her hands? When did he kneel down to her height? 

“I just…” Obi-wan looked around desperately. “You were just getting anxious and I wanted to help so I did what Knight Feemor was helping Xan with and…” 

Knight Saan hushed her gently. “It’s alright. You are a very smart kid. You picked up on my culture’s social cues and you did something that you only saw someone else do. It’s okay to freak out a little.” 

Obi-wan stared at him as he helped her calm down. 

“There you go. Are you ready to go back home now?” Knight Saan stood up and held out his hand to her. “Come on Obi-wan. Let’s go home.” 

*****

That night Obi-wan refused to wash off the mythosaur on her face despite the fact that the other kids were a little disgruntled that Obi-wan got to go out of the temple that afternoon while the rest of them had school. 

Obi-wan knew she was not endearing herself to her agemates and resolved to say no to any more outings and offer for them to visit in the main areas. 

Obi-wan traced the lines of the tusks by her mouth and tried to sleep. Things were too much though. 

There was too much on her mind. From the dilemma with her testing; to the way she was almost outed by that woman who did her design; to the way she pushed her shields at Knight Saan making him curious about what she knew. 

Obi-wan slipped into a light meditation to organize her thoughts. She didn’t notice when she went deeper back to her second home. 

*****

_ Obi-wan was startled to find herself in the main hall of the Jedi’s cave. The Waters of Abagoul lapped gently against the edge of its pool. The torches gleamed brightly.  _

_ She stepped further into the room. “Hello?” She called out.  _

_ She was about to make her way to Tarre’s rooms when she spotted people going into a room off the main hall. Mandalorians.  _

_ Obi-wan stepped into the room behind some Mandos and hid in the back. She observed the room and all its occupants. There were Jedi on one side of the room and Mandalorians on the other.  _

_ She spotted Yona and Master Kiwiiks. Tarre was at the front of the room and Jaster was at his side. Jango… Jango met her gaze.  _

_ He somehow knew she was there. She didn’t know how he did it but she could never hide in this place from him.  _

_ She widened her eyes in a plea and put her finger to her lips.  _

_ Jango smirked but nodded slightly. His eyes were laughing at something. He made a gesture to his face and she looked confused. Jango made the gesture again before Tarre cleared his throat.  _

_ “You all know why you are here. My ade…” Tarre’s voice was bursting with pride.  _

_ A Mando rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, we know. We have heard you go on about her for years now.”  _

_ Another laughed. “Yeah it’s all ‘Obi-wan did this’ and ‘did you see what Ob’ika just did?’”  _

_ “Get to the point Mand’alor Viszla.” The black, gold and scarlet Mand’alor waved his hand.  _

_ Obi-wan narrowed her eyes.  _

_ This Mando who never took off his helmet and never gave her his name was somehow higher up the chain of command than Tarre was. She knew this beyond a shadow of a doubt. She didn’t want to be his enemy.  _

_ Tarre cleared his throat. “Obi-wan Kenobi managed to get this off the dar’jetii who has been hunting us down.”  _

_ “He’s not a Sith. He’s a Darksider yes, but he’s not a Sith.” A humanoid Jedi spoke up.  _

_ “Darksider, Sith, they are the same are they not?” A Mand’alor sneered.  _

_ “No, they are not.” The Jedi looked offended. “Sith are trained whereas a Darksider is-”  _

_ “Foolish this conversation is.” Yona smacked her cane on the table. “Information Tarre has. Longer we sit here with stupid unnecessary talks.”  _

_ The Jedi bowed her head. “Sorry Master Yona.”  _

_ The Mand’alor tipped his head in a sign of respect. “You are right Jetii.”  _

_ Tarre went back to his words. “As I was saying the Darksider who has been hunting us down has taken a few more of our commandos but with your help, we managed to rescue them. We know their plans but we have no clue on how to stop them from this. If the Emperor escapes this realm like this Darksider plans then… Ob’ika?”  _

_ Drat. She was caught.  _

_ “Hey, Buir.” She greets sheepishly.  _

_ A Mand’alor eyes her up. “I love your war paint. Who did it?”  _

_ Obi-wan gasped and ran for the nearest reflective surface that wasn’t a Mandalorian in armor. She felt embarrassment well up as she saw the face paint from her time with Knight Saan still on her face in this place.  _

_ “How?” She faltered. How was this here? Nothing like this had happened before.  _

_ “Did you attend a Catiiki festival, recently?” Jango was at her side.  _

_ He was laughing at her!  _

_ Obi-wan scowled. “Maybe but…”  _

_ “Catiikies are a very spiritual race.” Jango leaned against the wall next to her with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “They believe in the afterlife and have their own version of it and their own customs. They take marriage bonds very seriously. If you were to marry by Catiiki’s standards nothing could separate you. Death is very much the same. If one riduur dies then you will be together in the afterlife. They have a festival every year to celebrate life in general and they have this custom where-”  _

_ “A seer looks at you and determines what kind of spirit you house and will paint it on your face and if it’s a good year then you get a good gift and if it’s a bad year you get a bad gift but only those who set up the festival know which you will get.” Obi-wan recites what Knight Saan told her.  _

_ “Exactly. They only allow outsiders who are with their people in so you must know a Catiiki.” Jango leaned closer to her.  _

_ Obi-wan held her breath.  _

_ “A mythosaur is a pretty impressive spirit to have. Even others can see you have Mandokarla.” Jango pulled back as Jaster called Jango’s name from around the corner.  _

_ Jango’s dark eyes seemed to bore into her with some unnamed emotion. He stepped closer to her. “Do…” Jango paused. “Do you really see me as-”  _

_ “There you are. Am I interrupting something?” Jaster looked between the two of them.  _

_ “No buir.” Jango stepped away quickly.  _

_ Obi-wan released all the air she was holding inside her lungs. “I- I need to go. I have testing tomorrow and I didn’t even plan on coming here.”  _

_ Obi-wan blinked out of there and the last words she heard was Jango’s whispered, “Goodbye Ob’ika.”  _

***

Obi-wan found herself back where she was yesterday. A headache blooming behind her eyes as she balanced the delicate line between knowing too much and being a little kid. 

Tests, she decided, were necessary but dreaded among creatures of all. From the guy who fixes your speeder to the mightiest of kings and rulers, tests were there. And emotional tests were the worst. 

Obi-wan decided that she hated tests. 


	13. Chapter Twelve - Knight Trials

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... angst train ahead and I'm going to bump this up to M because of violence. It's not much but it is there. 
> 
> In other news, I have been put in jail on discord for this chapter. So... I write to you from prison saying... enjoy! No Jangobi this chapter but it's from a different point of view. We will get back to your regularly scheduled Obi-wan point of view next chapter.

Xanatos stared at the wall as his teacher droned on and on about advanced navigation and how to calculate if your hyperdrive computer fails. 

It was important but he couldn’t focus. His mind was brought back to his nightmares every night. The feeling of coldness as it seeped into his being. The image of Obi-wan’s screams and fear as he trailed his red lightsaber across her small arms and legs taunting her about which one he would cut off today. 

Xanatos hated those dreams with a deep passion. They scared him and the thought of hurting Obi-wan... of making her be that scared that he could literally feel her fear through a dream made him sick as well. 

“Padawan Xanatos?” 

Xanatos blinked as his name was called. “Yes, Master?” 

“Knight Feemor requests for you to join him on a mission. I’ve excused you from classes for the rest of the day.” The teacher turned back to her other students. 

Xanatos gathered his things and carried them out the door. Feemor was waiting for him. 

“Hey, little brother. How are you?” Feemor slung an arm around his shoulders. 

Xanatos felt a million times better when he was around his family. “I’m doing fine now. What’s this mission?” 

Xanatos felt an unusual spark of mischievousness from Feemor before he shut it away. “Obi-wan wanted me to give this to you.” 

Xanatos took the piece of flimsy and opened it up. In Obi-wan’s neat handwriting were the words, ‘You’ll find it where you feel loved the most.’ 

Xanatos quirked an eyebrow at Feemor. “What’s this?” 

Feemor looked away. “It’s Obi-wan’s idea and she wanted to go first. She roped us all into it.” 

Xanatos smiled at the fact that his little sister cared about him enough to break him out of classes for a hunt. “Where I feel loved the most? That’s easy.” Xanatos made a turn for the Room of a Thousand Fountains. 

He entered through the vines into their little spot. A wrapped box sat in his usual seat in the grass. Xanatos bent down and picked it up. He shook it lightly. Something rattled around inside. 

Xanatos undid the bow and opened the box to reveal a handmade wooden pendant. Carved on one side were their names. ‘Xan, Feemor, Lan, Bru, and Obi.’ He turned it over. On the other side were the words. ‘Your family loves you.’

Xanatos felt tears prick his eyes he slipped the chain over his neck and the pendant rested on his heart. Two pieces of paper were tucked in the box. He opened the top one. 

‘For your trials. So you know you are always loved. ~ Obi.’ 

He opened the other to see Quinlan’s sloppy handwriting. The fact that a five-year-old had better handwriting than Quinlan said a lot. 

‘It’s where I always win. -Q.’ 

Xanatos shook his head at the cocky kid. “The lake.” He headed for the bright waters and spotted a wrapped package on the shore just out of reach of the water. Xanatos scooped it up and unwrapped the box. 

Inside was a bracelet like the ones Bruck and Quinlan made Obi-wan for her third birthday. This one was done with sandy yellow and dark brown threads. Small blue beads were threaded through at intervals. 

Xanatos slipped on his wrist and took out the two pieces of paper at the bottom. 

‘Bruck let me do this again. He said to make sure you wear it on your right wrist. For your trials. So you know how much we want you around. -Q’ 

Xanatos smiled at the writings of his crazy little brother. He opened the other paper. This time Bruck’s elegant handwriting was on the page. 

‘You’ll find it where we first became real friends.’ 

Xanatos thought for a moment before going out of the Room of A Thousand Fountains. He headed for the salles with Feemor quietly walking along beside him. 

Xanatos entered the salle where he and Bruck defended Obi-wan from Padawan Vosa. 

Padawan Vosa had been bad-mouthing Obi-wan and Bruck came to her defense. When Vosa started being mean to Bruck, Xanstos stepped in and it devolved into a lightsaber duel between Xanatos, Bruck, and Padawan Vosa to determine who was going to back down. 

Xanatos did most of the work and let Bruck have the winning shot. They cemented their own friendship that day. 

Xanatos entered the training room to see Obi-wan, Bruck, and Quinlan waiting for him. Bruck was holding a wrapped box. 

“Xan!” Obi-wan ran up to him and flung her small arms around his waist. Her red hair was in a messy nerf tail and her two clips were in her hair on either side of her head. They were mismatched but somehow they worked for her. She wore them every time he saw her. 

“Hey, Obi. Thanks for the pendant. I love it.” Xanatos was nudged with a box. 

Xanatos took the box from Bruck and carefully opened it to see two shades of blue thread braided into a strong cord with tan beads. Xanatos slipped onto his right wrist alongside Quinlan’s. 

“Is there special meanings to the colors?” Xanatos frowned at the choices. 

“Yes.” Bruck nodded. “Each thing represents a physical trait of your friend. See, the lighter blue is my eyes and the darker one is your eye color. The tan beads are your hair. Quinlan did the opposite. Dark for his hair. Sandy for yours and blue for your eyes. Obi-wan’s we did similarly. Mine was blue for my eyes, grey for her eyes, and white for my hair. Quinlan’s was red for Obi-wan’s hair, brown for his and yellow for his markings signifying her as his family.” 

Xanatos liked them even better now that he knew what they represented. Xanatos turned to Feemor teasingly. “What did you get me, big brother?” 

Feemor sighed and held out a long box to him. “Ungrateful brat,” Feemor muttered fondly. 

Xanatos smiled and opened the box. He nearly dropped it in shock. “Is this…?”

“My first lightsaber.” Feemor brushed his fingers along the hilt. “I have been communing with the crystal and it agreed to let you use it as long as you don’t make it bleed. It wants to meet the man I have been telling them about.” 

Xanatos accepted the gift with tears in his eyes. He gently pressed the switch and a bright green plasma blade shot up from the simple hilt. 

The crystal hummed a cautious greeting at him. Xanatos silently greeted it back before deactivating it. 

Xanatos wrapped his arms around Feemor. “Thanks.” He whispered. 

“For your trials, Little Brother. May it serve you well and protect you as it did me.” Feemor pulled back. “Now. Obi-wan has decided we needed to have a day off so… to the Room of A Thousand Fountains.” 

Obi-wan cheered and ran and Xanatos. “Do you like your presents, Xan?” 

“I love them. Thank you. All of you.” Xanatos ruffled her hair. “Come on. What are we doing for the rest of the day?” 

******

Xanatos laid in his bed. His Master was snoring in the room next to him and Xanatos could hear the rumble through the walls. 

Xanatos ran his fingers over the pendant on his chest. 

Obi-wan was a good kid. She was very smart and perceptive too. According to the council’s secretary, Obi-wan was the one who made the council force his Master into having someone help him with how he treated people. 

Obi-wan also made sure he wasn’t alone and without friends. She brought him Feemor and Bruck and Quinlan. She was a bright spot in this temple and people’s lives. He didn’t think he would have ever met any of his family on his own. Obi-wan was the glue that held them all together. 

Xanatos curled in on himself. He didn’t want to sleep. The nightmares would be waiting for him. Xanatos clutched the pendant so hard that the wooden edges cut into his palm. He read the words one last time. 

“Your family loves you.” He murmured. Xanatos clung to that phrase as he fell asleep and was tossed into nightmares. 

Xanatos woke up the next morning eager for his trials. He hurried through breakfast and gathered Feemor’s first lightsaber, clipping it at his waist. He made sure that he had Bruck’s and Quinlan’s bracelets on his right wrist and Obi-wan’s pendant draped around his neck and tucked under his tunic. 

Master Jinn walked him to the Chambers of Trials. He didn’t say anything until they got there. 

Xanatos’ Master dropped a hand on his shoulder. “Good luck Padawan. May you succeed in your trials.” 

Xanatos nodded and turned to face the doors. He set his jaw and pushed open the doors to meet his fate. 

*****

Xanatos was sweating. The trials were harder than he thought and he realized there was a reason Knights did not talk about their trials. They were personal and scary and if Xanatos survived this, he was going to have a whole new set of nightmares. 

Xantos defeated the last droid visible. He didn’t deactivate his lightsaber though. Something felt off. 

A squeak was all the warning he got. Xanatos whirled around and blocked the vibroblade that was thrown at him. He moved to attack before the droid could throw another. He sliced the droid in two and panted for breath. 

“Very good Padawan Xanatos. The Trial of Skill you have won. The last one now, you will face. Trial of Spirit, begin.” 

Xanatos jumped as the room went dark. A light lit up and Xanatos readied his lightsaber and moved towards it. 

Xanatos dropped the lightsaber as his worst nightmare was revealed in front of him. 

“Which one shall I cut off first, Obi-wan? Your arm? But then you can’t swing the pickaxe like you need to, to survive. What about your leg?” 

Xanatos heard his own voice speak in the soft tone he reserved for Obi-wan. 

Obi-wan was tied to a metal table. Her hair was matted and clung in clumps around her face. Her eyes were screaming No! and fear as loud as she could. 

“Look at this…” Another one of him crooned. “A sweet picture. I remember those times. She felt so full of fear in the Force. Now she had taken what was mine from me and I will never forgive her. Turn with me. You can avoid all this…” 

The older him waved his hand and the scene changed to his natural little sister being trampled by a mass of people. She was kicked and stepped on until she finally lay still and unmoving. 

Xanatos flinched from the images. 

The picture changed again. Master Jinn arguing with his dad before taking out his lightsaber and cutting off his head. The thump of his severed head hitting the carpet of his family home rang in his ears. 

“Stop.” Xanatos felt hatred well up. He hated this other him and he hated the pictures he was shown. 

“Good. Good. Feel the hate.” The other him crooned. 

Xanatos blindly lunged out at the other him and green met red in a shower of sparks. 

“She ruined your life. You were meant for greater things than this. You were meant to be the Chosen One. It was why Qui-gon took you on. So he could claim to be the master of the Chosen One. Now it’s her and she ruined you.” 

The other him fended off his attacks easily. The words he spoke curled in his brain. Xanatos screamed and began more attacks. 

A warning rang in his mind. Something was wrong? 

Xanatos caught a glimpse of Obi-wan on that metal table. That reminded him of last night before he fell asleep. 

“Your family loves you,” Xanatos murmured. 

The older him faltered for a moment. 

“What?” The older him scowled. “She ruined you. She-” 

“No!” Xanatos yelled. “She didn’t ruin me. They didn’t ruin me. I am better with them by my side. My family loves me. Obi-wan loves me and I will never be you because I will never hurt my family.” Xanatos began attacking again, this time not out of blind rage and hatred but love for his family. 

For Feemor, who gave him the blade he was fighting with now. For Bruck and Quinlan who gave him the bracelets that sparkled on his wrist in the lights of the lightsabers. And for Obi-wan, the little girl who saw the good in him and believe in him. Who didn’t deserve to have her big brother abandoned her out of hatred for a stupid projection of a stupid trial. 

Obi-wan’s pendant dangled around his neck as he fought. With one last thrust of his blade, the other him dissolved into blue smoke. 

“No!” He shouted as he faded away. 

Xanatos slumped to the ground as the lights in the chamber flicked on and multiple Masters swarmed him. 

“Padawan Xanatos! Are you okay? Call for a healer!” Someone ordered. 

“I’m doing it now!” 

“These trials are karked up.” Xanatos groaned as he was rolled over. He ached everywhere. His left arm particularly. 

“Just relax. A healer is on their way, they’ll get your arm looked at.” Someone soothed. 

Xanatos grunted. “M-my arm?” he looked over at his left arm and nearly threw up. 

His skin below his forearm was sliced down to the bone. He could see his actual bone peeking out of the flesh. 

Someone blocked his view. “Don’t look.” 

Xanatos’ vision swam as what happened took over his mind. All he could think was…  _ “I’m glad it’s my left arm because blood is all the way down to my wrist. Bruck and Quinlan’s bracelets would have been ruined.”  _

“Xan… tos…Pad...” 

Xanatos closed his eyes as blackness took over him. 

*****

Xanatos didn’t want to wake up. He was sleeping the best he ever had in months. He didn’t have a single nightmare but that beeping was going to be murdered if it didn’t stop. 

Xanatos groaned and opened his eyes. His left arm felt pleasingly numb and cool. It was better than the burning pain he had before he fell asleep. 

He looked around the room he was in. White walls, green plants in the corner, blue curtains, an uncomfortable bed. He was in the healing halls. 

Xanatos looked to his left. His arm was encased in plaster. A foot was resting next to his hand. Xanatos followed the foot up its owner’s leg and what he saw made him want to snap a holo picture. 

Feemor was sleeping on a chair next to his bed with an also sleeping Obi-wan on his chest. A quick glance to the couch in the room showed him that Bruck and Quinlan were also there and sleeping on the cushions. 

Xanatos smiled. He  _ was _ loved and his family  _ didn’t _ ruin him. They were here by his bedside waiting for him and based on the trash can he could just barely see, they had eaten their dinner in his room.

The door creaked open and a healer stuck her head in the room. She smiled when she saw Xanatos awake. 

She mouthed some words at Xanatos before shutting the door softly. It didn’t matter though because as soon as that click reached his ears, Feemor woke up. 

“Hey, Little Brother. You’re awake.” Feemor whispered. He shifted Obi-wan on his lap so her head rested on his shoulder. 

“I am.” Xanatos smile fell as his trials came back to his mind. “Did I pass? Am I a knight now?” 

Feemor frowned. “Xan-” 

The door creaked open and this time everyone stirred as a healer came into the room. 

“Knight Xanatos. Congratulations on passing your trials.” Healer Che came up and checked a few things on the machines surrounding him. “How are you feeling?” 

“Tired, hot and numb,” Xanatos informed her promptly. He had heard tales of Healer Che and did not want to cross her. 

“That’s good. I’ll see about lowering the temperature in here a little. Is there anything else you needed before I leave?” Healer Che looked at him attentively. 

Xanatos opened his mouth and his stomach gurgled. He blushed as the healer laughed. 

“I’ll see if the mess has any leftover food. Get some sleep Knight Xanatos. You deserve it.” Healer Che left the room. 

The room was silent as everyone looked at each other. Obi-wan crawled from Feemor’s lap to come to lay beside Xanatos on the bed. Her blue-grey eyes examined him closely like she was looking for more injuries. 

“You’re okay?” Obi-wan asked in a small voice. 

“I’m going to be fine Obi-wan.” Xanatos gave her a smile. He slung his good arm across his body and rested his hand on her shoulder. 

Obi-wan seemed to relax and smile so huge that it reached her eyes spread across her face. 

“What happened?” Bruck leaned across the arm of the couch to eye his arm. 

“I… I saw what my future would be like without you guys and I realized I am extremely grateful for each one of you as my friends.” Xanatos forced his mind away from the memories. “That’s all I’m going to say on it. What have you all done today?” 

“Besides wait for you to wake up in a small room for half the day?” Feemor snorted. Xanatos could hear the worry in it and realized he must have scared Feemor badly for him to be like this. 

Xanatos looked at the bed he was in. It was kind of large. “Obi. Climb on my lap.” 

Xanatos helped the five-year-old until she was settled against his chest. 

“What are you doing, Xanatos?” Feemor frowned. 

“Okay, Bruck, Quinlan? Come get in on either side of me but whoever is on my left be careful of my arm.” 

The two boys looked between Xanatos and Feemor. Xanatos smiled encouragingly and Feemor nodded for them to go ahead. 

Quinlan got in on his right side and Bruck on his left. That left a little bit of space for Feemor. 

“Feemor, come join us.” Xanatos motion to the spot on the other side of Quinlan. 

Feemor sighed and scooted on the bed. 

Xanatos smiled. He hugged Obi-wan to his chest with Bruck in his other arm. Quinlan was pressed to the right side of Xanatos’ chest and Feemor’s arm stretched across Quinlan to rest on Xanatos’ stomach. 

Yes. He was very much loved. Whatever that thing was was wrong. No one would hurt him now. 

Xanatos fell back to sleep with a smile on his face. No nightmare would dare touch him now. 

****

_ Xanatos kicked a chair into the wall. Ruined! His whole past was ruined! He hurled another piece of furniture at the wall.  _

_ Obi-wan Kenobi was going to pay! He would make her pay!  _

_ “Sir?” A meek voice at his elbow made him snarl and hurl a table at the weakling who dared interrupt him.  _

_ The table flew harmlessly through the ghost.  _

_ “What do you want?” He bit out each word with all the malice he felt.  _

_ “We know who had taken your files, Sir. The Mandalorians and Jedi have been hitting us hard but we found the information.”  _

_ “Who was it?” Xanatos growled.  _

_ “We’re pretty sure it’s Kenobi sir.” Xanatos’ assistant shrieked as another table came flying at him.  _

_ “Where is Kenobi now?”  _

_ “We’re not sure. She rarely leaves the Mandalorian council chambers.” Xanatos’ assistant flinched like Xanatos was going to throw something else at him.  _

_ “Who told you this information?”  _

_ The assistant perked up and motioned to a camera. Strapped to a table with special binder cuffs was a Mandalorian stripped of their teal, yellow and purple armor. A current of sith lighting ran through them as they screamed.  _

_ Xanatos grinned. “Excellent work. You might just have some use after all Chun.”  _


	14. Chapter Thirteen - Three Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry (Not sorry) for this chapter. It has a lot of angst it in. I might need to add that tag. Hmmm. It also has various POV's. Enjoy.

Obi-wan was so happy! She did it! She saved Xanatos from falling! She managed to change something close to her and she was riding this excitement from her first success in what felt like decades. 

Obi-wan practically danced down the hall to her class. Obi-wan had been bumped up to year three in some areas and year two in others. It seemed she did a little too well on Grammar but being wrong on that irritated her. 

"What's got you so happy, Obi-Wan?" Shaak greeted her with a smile. 

Obi-Wan beamed. "Nothing. I'm just really happy Xan passed the Knight trials." 

“That’s great.” Shaak gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I’m happy your friend made it through the trials. I heard they are scary.” 

Obi-wan’s smile dropped as she remembered what caused her to reach knighthood. The death of her master and her supposed defeat of Darth Maul. “Yeah. They can be very scary.” 

The teacher called the class to order just then. Obi-wan paid close attention to the lecture. She would not have what happened before happen again. She was already advanced enough as it was. Any more and they might start asking questions. 

After classes, Obi-wan tried to make friends with her clan members. Auri was still not happy with her and Nseju was neutral but leaning towards Auri’s way. So the twi’leks were out and Koobis was a little disgruntled that she spent all her time away with her older brothers instead of with them. Kalen was quiet and regarded her with awe like she was the ideal Jedi. 

That hurt. She had seen that look before on Anakin. Anakin had thought she was the perfect Jedi and had resented her and wouldn’t come to her because he thought she didn’t have feelings like every other sentient in this galaxy. 

Obi-wan was sitting by herself when Xanatos came to see her. Obi-wan felt torn. She was at least fifty-five in a five-year-old’s body. She was torn between wanting to be with the older adults and wanting to be with her agemates. 

“Hey, Obi.” Xanatos folded himself in a seat next to her. He played with the wooden pendant around his neck. 

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow at him. Xanatos was usually uncomfortable around kids that were not her and tended to want to leave right away. To see him sitting next to her with the awed stares of her agemates was worrying. 

“Xan?” Obi-wan touched his arm. “What’s wrong?” 

Xanatos shot her a nervous look and took a deep breath. 

Obi-wan felt him center himself in the Force. “Xan?” 

“I’m leaving,” Xanatos spoke loudly. “On a mission that is.” Xanatos shot her an uncertain look. “I’m being assigned with an older Knight to go do something I can’t tell you. I might be gone for a while.” 

Obi-wan studied Xanatos. His Force presence was lighter than she had ever seen it. Whatever happened in his trials, made him overcome some of his fear and hurt. He seemed like a different person. 

Obi-wan flung her arms around his neck. “Be safe and come home soon. I’ll miss you Xan.” 

Xanatos returned her hug. “Okay Obi. I’ll come home safely to our family. I promise.” 

Obi-wan pulled back. “Don’t promise that. You have no way of knowing what will happen on this mission. Don’t promise…” Obi-wan felt tears welling up. “Just stay safe.” 

“I will.” Xanatos stood up. He ruffled her hair. Obi-wan scowled. He messed up her clips. “I’ll see you around Obi.” Xanatos left the creche rooms with a wave at her. 

“Stay safe Xanatos,” Obi-wan whispered. Whatever he was in a different life didn’t matter now. He was currently her brother and she was going to miss him. 

****

Obi-wan went to see her second family that night. There was unrest in their afterlife and she was determined to help. 

*****

_ Obi-wan found herself in Master Kiwiiks’ rooms.  _

_ “Obi-wan.” Master Kiwiiks gave a tired smile and hugged her warmly. “It’s good to see you.”  _

_ Obi-wan returned the hug. She eyed the exhausted togruta warily. “What’s going on? I mean it. No messing around. I want the full situation because I need to know. I’m sick of Tarre telling me to not worry about it. That’s like saying do everything and worry about it.”  _

_ Master Kiwiiks sighed. She settled onto one of her mats. She waved her hand for Obi-wan to sit. She began after the redhead had plopped down on a mat.  _

_ “A Darksider has been capturing Mandalorians. The Mandalorians reached out for our help because whoever is holding them... they can’t escape without the Force. There are several Mand’alor’s missing. One we especially can’t find and it has been months. You might know her. She was the one who helped you bring back Jango and the others.”  _

_ Obi-wan remembered purple, yellow, and teal armor. She felt horror rising up because she knew exactly who was doing this. That voice will forever haunt her nightmares. She stood up quickly and began to pace. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have done that and now he’s angry and he’s going to…”  _

_ “Obi-wan.” Warm sienna-skinned hands grabbed hers. “What are you talking about?”  _

_ Obi-wan stilled. She knew exactly where this Mandalorian was and she knew what she had to do. No one hurt her family. She pulled away from Master Kiwiiks and made her old lightsaber appear in her hands.  _

_ “Obi-wan what are you doing?” Master Kiwiiks was worried.  _

_ Obi-wan clipped the lightsaber to her belt. “I’m going after her. If I’m not back in an hour call for Tarre and a Mand’alor wearing black, scarlet, and gold armor. Tell him he knows where I went and tell him the great halls.”  _

_ “The great halls? Obi-wan, I don’t like where your head is at right now. Tell me what you are doing and I will go with you.” Master Kiwiiks stood up and summoned her own lightsaber.  _

_ “You can’t. He’ll get you too. One hour and then call for Tarre.” Obi-wan smiled at her. “May the Force be with you Master Kiwiiks.”  _

_ “Bela.” The togruta stepped closer. “It’s Bela and I am coming with you.”  _

_ “May the Force be with you Bela and no you are not.” Obi-wan disappeared in a blue wisp.  _

_ *** _

_ Bela Kiwiiks stared at the spot where her little sister once stood. She clenched her jaw. “An hour my lekku. I’m getting him now.”  _

_ Bela marched down the hall and into Tarre’s salles. He wasn’t there. She cautiously approached the door connecting to the Halls of the Ka’ra. She wasn’t supposed to be there without an escort but this was an emergency. Surely they would understand.  _

_ Bela stepped forward and twisted the doorknob. She entered the hall lit by torches. She searched out Tarre’s familiar force presence. She came across no one until she crossed paths with a Mand’alor.  _

_ “Jetii. You aren’t supposed to be here. Where is your escort?” The Mandalorian stepped in her way and wouldn’t let her pass.  _

_ “I need to speak with Tarre. It’s an emergency. It’s about his daughter.” Bela spoke calmly and firmly as a Jedi should but inside she was a ball of nerves and worry.  _

_ The Mandalorian sighed. “What kind of di’kut things did Tarre’s jetii ade get into now?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Follow me. I’ll be your escort.”  _

_ Bela followed the Mandalorian down a few more halls. He didn’t say a word and neither did she.  _

_ He stopped in front of a wooden door before politely knocking. “Viszla. Your di’kut ade did something and you have a jetii here to see you. I found her wandering the halls.”  _

_ There was a rush and then Tarre was at the door. It hit the wall with a bang. Tarre’s eyes tightened when he spotted Bela. “What happened?”  _

_ “She ran off. She came and demanded to know what was going on. I told her a little about the Mand’alor who is missing and she started pacing saying it was her fault before stilling and telling me that if she wasn’t back in an hour to tell you.” Bela didn’t miss a beat as Tarre immediately called for his own lightsaber and weapons.  _

_ “How long has she been gone?” Tarre demanded as he hurried down the hall.  _

_ Bela noted that Jango Fett and Jaster Mereel were equally decked out in weapons and were following them.  _

_ “Bela! Where did she go?” Tarre sounded desperate and panicked.  _

_ “I don’t know. All she said was to find a Mand’alor in black, red, and gold armor and tell them she said the great halls.” Bela was worried when Tarre froze.  _

_ He slammed his fist in the wall in an uncharacteristic display of anger. “Ka’ra damn that girl.” Tarre hunched over.  _

_ Bela felt closer and saw that it wasn’t anger but worry and fear clouding his mind. She stepped up to Tarre and laid her hand on his shoulder. “She’s only been gone for a few minutes. I came here right after she left. She can’t be in that much trouble.”  _

_ Jango snorted. “This is Kenobi we’re talking about she can find trouble anywhere.”  _

_ Bela shot him a sharp glare. “Tarre. We will find her. Where is this Mandalorian she is talking about?”  _

_ “Gone on an unreachable mission. We won’t be able to talk to him for a while.” Jaster put in.  _

_ Bela snapped out a curse in her native tongue. “What do we do? How will we find her?”  _

_ Jango grimaced. “I- I might know where she went. Or at least the general direction.”  _

_ All heads turned towards him.  _

_ “How?” Tarre demanded.  _

_ Jango sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “She can’t hide from me. Not here in this place. I always know when she is near. I might be able to track her.”  _

_ Jaster and Tarre were silent for a moment.  _

_ “Any other time I would welcome you with open arms but not now. Do you know where she is?” Tarre said those strange words before continuing down the hall.  _

_ Bela was right behind Tarre.  _

_ “I’ll need a bit of time.” Jango’s tone was full of apology.  _

_ “We don’t have time!” Tarre whirled on him.  _

_ “Tarre,” Jaster spoke some words in their language and Tarre sagged.  _

_ “How long?” The words were a defeated whisper.  _

_ “Ten minutes?” Jango shrugged. “The galaxy is a big place. This place is even bigger.”  _

_ Bela laid her hand on Tarre’s arm in support. “We’ll find her.” She hoped she was right. _

_ **** _

_ Obi-wan carefully explored the place where she found Jango the first time he had gone missing. She followed the path she took last time with her lightsaber drawn and out.  _

_ It looked abandoned. The cell doors were wide open and she knew better than to step inside one. Nobody was here. It was almost spooky the way it was dark and quiet.  _

_ She felt a ripple of something pass her and she spun with her blade ready.  _

_ “Kenobi.” A voice purred darkly from the shadows.  _

_ Okay. Maybe not abandoned.  _

_ A shiver raced down her spine at the voice. “Xanatos.” She said as calmly as she could.  _

_ “How nice of you to stop by. Or simply very foolish.” Xanatos moved shadows and she slowly rotated to follow him.  _

_ “Where is she? The Mandalorian you captured. I know you have her.” Obi-wan flinched away from Xanatos as he stepped from the shadows. A sneer was on his face.  _

_ “Oh, she’s enjoying my hospitality.” Xanatos gave a grin. “You experienced it in the past, remember? Well, not your current past.”  _

_ Obi-wan tightened her grip on her blade. Her mind was racing. “Show me her.”  _

_ Xanatos’ teeth flashed in a smug grin as he waved his hand towards a screen. “By all means. Have a look.”  _

_ The screen turned on and screams echoed from the speakers.  _

_ “I won’t tell you anything! Aliit ori’shya tal’din!” The Mand’alor repeated over and over until her voice was hoarse and the lighting coursing through her was turned down. Even then she muttered it over and over.  _

_ Obi-wan felt the worst she had ever felt in her life. Worse than when her family was killed by their men. Worse than when she left her brother to die in lava.  _

_ “She’s very loyal. She won’t give us much more than that. We don’t even know what’s she saying. Those Mandalorians keep their language close to their chest.”  _

_ Xanatos was speaking but all of Obi-wan’s focus was on the blank screen.  _

_ This Mandalorian, with who Obi-wan only interacted once, was defending her against some intense torture and screaming that ‘Family was more than blood’ as a mantra to uphold against the hardships she was going through.  _

_ “You want me? Then take me. But let her go!” Obi-wan turned off her lightsaber and threw it at Xanatos’ feet.  _

_ Xanatos was surprised before a pleased grin wound its way on his face. “You always were predictable, Kenobi. Just can’t stand to see someone suffer.”  _

_ A figure shuffled out from a side room and placed cuffs on her.  _

_ “So no one can find you.”  _

_ Obi-wan looked up and her heart shattered in her chest. “Bruck.” Her voice trembled.  _

_ “Hello, Oafy-wan.” Bruck sneered.  _

_ This wasn’t her Bruck and wasn’t her Xanatos. She had to remember that. Bru and Xan were different people than these two.  _

_ She bravely raised her chin. “Lead on Xanatos.”  _

_ As they faded away, a faded blue person was made to appear on the floor where she was standing. Obi-wan caught the sight of teal, purple, and yellow before she was teleported out of there.  _

_ ***** _

_ Jango groaned and clenched his head. He began to panic. He was so close and then she winked out. He couldn’t feel her. That bright steady warmth that he could always find was gone.  _

_ “Jango! What’s wrong?” Jaster was at his side.  _

_ “She’s gone. I can’t feel her anymore. I was so close but she vanished. Something’s wrong.” Jango hated that he lost her and he hated that stupid idiot Jedi for whatever she did to him.  _

_ Lie. A voice in his mind whispered.  _

_ Shut up. Jango told it.  _

_ A roar of pain caught his attention and he turned just in time to see Tarre pound his fist onto a table. “She can’t be gone.”  _

_ Jango was grateful for the togruta Jedi as she worked to calm Tarre down. His mind raced. She might know who this Darksider was. It didn’t escape his notice that the captured Mand’alor’e’s always said that they asked about Kenobi.  _

_ “I know where she is,” Jango told the group his theory before they vanished to where Jango was sure Kenobi was.  _

_ He was wrong. The place was abandoned. He sagged. “I thought she’d be here.”  _

_ Tarre looked upset. “Nice try, Jango. We will have to see if I can get ahold of…”  _

_ “Wait!” The togruta Jedi ran down the hall. “There’s someone here!”  _

_ Jango followed and saw something that made him want to throw things or punch something. He knew exactly what Obi-wan did and it made him want to shake the di’kut jetii.  _

_ Laying on the floor, her light nearly gone, was the missing Mand’alor. Signs of torture were obvious. Her armor was smoking and had scorch marks. The worse and most clue-giving thing was her mumbles of ‘Family is more than blood.’  _

_ Jango wasn’t stupid. He had been watching Kenobi and knew that the Jedi had given herself up to save this Mand’alor. It was just like her to do so.  _

_ Jango didn’t know exactly what the consequences of this were, but if Obi-wan wasn’t allowed to return to her time in about four hours, there is going to be trouble.  _

_ ***** _

_ Voices streamed past her ears. She didn’t know how long she had been in Xanatos’ company. Hours she guessed. She should be getting ready for her classes. Quinlan and Bruck were supposed to meet her for lunch today.  _

_ Now, she was trapped in the afterlife. She tried going back to her kid body but something was keeping her here. She had time to theorize and she could guess it was because of her cuffs and collar that was forced on her. The majority of her was caught in a trap that she couldn’t escape. It made her soul trapped and couldn’t return to her body.  _

_ Obi-wan leaned her head against the bars of the cell she was in. She expected torture right away, but all Xanatos had done was throw her into a cell and leave her. She wondered what his game was.  _

_ Where was the torture she was expecting? She had worms eating at her muscles at one point, she could handle torture. Ventress was one thousand times better than Xanatos at torture but nothing was happening.  _

_ The worry and nerves ate at her and suddenly, she knew why there was no physical torture. Xanatos had changed tactics and was now doing mental torture.  _

_ Obi-wan set her jaw. Her family would come for her. Tarre, Bela, Yona, Jaster, and Jango would not let her suffer. She could handle a few measly hours of nothing but quiet. It might give her time to sort through her feelings.  _

_ She felt awful for what the Mandalorian had gone through and was hopeful that she was alright now. That she was back with her clan.  _

_ Obi-wan would do it all over again to save anyone innocent from that fate. She didn’t deserve that. Not for her and that fact that she called her family?  _

_ Obi-wan bit back tears. She didn’t deserve a family. Maybe being left alone with her thoughts wasn’t a good idea.  _

_ Obi-wan leaned back against the wall and hummed the tune the Knight Saan used to sing to her when she was younger. It brought her a little comfort.  _

_ **** _

Quinlan ran through the temple, heedless of the people he ran into or made drop things. 

“Sorry!” He shouted constantly after him. 

Bruck was hot on his heels. The white-haired boy had become a good friend. They fought and bickered a lot but that was because they had wildly different personalities. 

Quinlan knew something was wrong with Obi-wan since that morning. He could barely feel her through their bond. He hoped he was wrong and she was just shielding but when she didn’t show up for lunch with them, he knew something was terribly wrong. 

Obi-wan would never pass up an opportunity to eat with her favorite older brother. 

Quinlan had run out of the lunchroom abandoning his plate of food and Bruck was quick to follow. Despite their disagreements, there was one thing they never fought on and that was Obi-wan. All Quinlan had to say was Obi was in trouble and Bruck was following him through the halls. 

Quinlan burst into Obi-wan’s clan’s rooms and felt the intense sadness and worry of the group. The little boy Kalen was sobbing. 

“Initiate Vos! Initiate Chun! I demand to know why you are-” 

“Where’s Obi?” Quinlan demanded. He didn’t care that it was incredibly rude to interrupt a Master. “Where is Obi-wan?” 

Obi-wan’s clan leader immediately drooped. “She’s in the Healing Halls. She wouldn’t wake up this morning and it seemed like she had tried to meditate but fell too deep. Nothing we can do will wake her.” 

All of Quinlan’s worst nightmares were coming true. He remembered a time where this had happened before. Obi-wan came back and she would do it again. Quinlan just had to see her. She would come back. She had to. 

“She’ll come back.” Quinlan didn’t care if his voice trembled. This was Obi. She held them together, she can’t be like this. 

“Initiate Vos…” The old master sighed. “I hope you are right.” 

“Come on Bruck. We need to see Obi. She’ll come back for us.” Quinlan ran out of the rooms. Bruck following him like always. 

****

Bruck stared down at the little girl in the bed. She was pale and he could barely feel her in the Force. It was like she was far away. Her hair was limp around her and her grey eyes were closed. Her face showed signs of strain on it. Her hair was neatly braided and her hair clips were set on the side table. 

Bruck didn’t like it. Obi-wan was far away and looked awful. It wasn’t her. His mind refused to believe that the vibrant stubborn little girl who climbed a cliff and fell off of it, just to prove to him that she was strong enough to be his friend, would not wake up. 

It had been three days since she had been like this and his mind still refused to believe it. Quinlan was a wreck. He never left her bedside unless Feemor forced him to. Even then he still fought against whoever was making him leave. Harsh words were said and Bruck was afraid that their family was falling apart. 

Feemor looked like bantha poodoo. His blond hair was greasy and he stayed by Obi-wan’s bedside at night. He had bags under his blue eyes that suggested that he didn’t sleep. 

Obi-wan remained deep in the Force. The Healers were worried. The whole temple was worried. 

Obi-wan had a stream of visitors. From Master Yoda to Nseju and the rest of her clan. Kalen seemed especially upset and cried every time he saw her. 

Bruck had a feeling that the younger boy knew something. Guilt radiated off of him in waves. 

Bruck had been at Obi-wan’s bedside as much as his classes allowed. Quinlan’s grades dropped because he skipped classes to sit with Obi-wan. 

Quinlan’s temper flew into a rage when Bruck refused to do the same thing. Hurtful words spewed from Quinlan’s mouth and Bruck withdrew into himself. 

He did his homework, he learned all that he could in hopes that he could help Obi-wan. 

Three days and she refused to open her grey eyes and smile at them. Three days and Bruck was losing hope. Three days… and then things changed.


End file.
